SSHS- The Magic of Music
by secretPersonalities
Summary: They say that music has the power to bring people together. Well, for Sakura Haruno, an invisible outsider, her music serves as her sanctuary. For Sasuke Uchiha, the school heartthrob, her music is his mystery: who's the owner of that voice? A High school Fic. SasuSaku, slight NaruHina, and others
1. Someone's Watching Over Me

**_Well, I'm back people! Miss me? _**

**_So I decided to try something new. I've read so many High School fan fictions, and I wanted to try one myself. Hope you like it! (of course, this is my favorite pairing for the time being, SasuSaku)_**

**_I do NOT own Naruto. Seriously, who could possibly control that guy?_**

* * *

_Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Be-_ A hand slams down on the alarm clock.

"Ugh, quit already! I'm up!" A young girl slowly sits up in bed and stretches her arms before going about her morning routine. She looks in the mirror to see messy, short pink hair and tired jade eyes. "Alright. Get it together! Time for another day!"

When she was sure her exhaustion was no longer visible, she hurried downstairs. "Morning, Mom!" she greeted with the brightest smile she could muster.

A woman with dull grayish blue eyes and pale pink hair tied up in a messy bun responded with a small smile. "Oh. Morning, Sakura." Sakura did what she could not to sigh. Her mother looked so lifeless… ever since Dad died.

Quickly, Sakura got settled to have some breakfast with her mom. However, the meal remained quiet. _Guess she's not in the mood to talk._ Sakura truly missed when the kitchen was full of chatter, even if the conversations were totally embarrassing. Her eyes moved to the family portrait. _I miss you, Daddy…_

Slowly, she started to gather her things. As much as she hated to leave her mother like this, she still had to go to school. She had tried before to skip a day, but Mom would hear none of that. So, she gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and headed out.

* * *

As she reached the gates of her school, her pace had slowed. She looked around the crowded courtyard, trying to locate Hinata, Ino, or Tenten. No such luck. Sighing, she moved through the crowd on her own, trying to get to her locker undetected. Again, no such luck. A group of girls she was certainly familiar with was closing in, led by Karin, the one person who enjoys giving her grief.

"Well, well, look who crawled out of her hole. Alone again, Haruno?"

She ignored her and kept walking. Until she was tripped by that red-haired devil.

"Sorry, Haruno, just thought I'd help you remember where you belong."

Sakura stayed where she was on the ground as the girls walked away. She could hear their giggles:

"How does she even leave her room? If I had hair that was pink, I'd never be seen in public!"

"She should just disappear. It's not like she'd be missed. Such an eyesore."

Fighting back the sting in her eyes, she slowly got up. There was no way she'd cry in front of Karin of all people. Besides, she was used to it. She started to gather her things, since she dropped her bag and everything had spilled out. Honestly, people just walked by like nothing happened. Was she literally invisible? _Whatever,_ she thought. Suddenly, she saw a book in her face. She looked up, and a god was holding her book to her.

Okay, so he's no god, but he might as well be. He's Sasuke Uchiha, the must-have bachelor of the entire school. He casually held out the book in his hand, not bothering to look at her. _He must know what being nice to me will do to his reputation…_ She quickly took the book, muttered a small "Thanks" and took off before she could do anymore damage.

* * *

The school day went by the same as usual. Sakura did eventually locate her friends, and when they saw the dust and scratches from the fall, they didn't have to ask who the cause was.

"Ugh! If only I had been there! I could've easily wiped the smirk off that bitch's face!" Tenten growled.

"What about me? I've been waiting for a chance to put the she-devil in her place for like… ever!" Ino added.

Sakura started waving her hands in the air. "No, no, don't go causing trouble for my sake. It's fine."

"B-but are you a-alright, Sakura?" Hinata whispered.

"I'm fine. Just some scratches." She assured with a smile. Her friends' looks spelled out their doubt, but they dropped the topic.

At the end of the day, she sat in her corner of the classroom, waiting for everyone to disperse. She stared out the window, going through her mental repertoire. She just needed to sing, and soon.

It didn't take long for the teens to leave. Some girls had stayed to gossip a little, but that could be done elsewhere. No one had acknowledged her, as usual. Even Karin was too busy swooning over the Uchiha. "_Not that I was expecting anything to happen."_ She thought bitterly.

She hurried to the music room, her one and only sanctuary in this hell. She grabbed her guitar. She had already chosen her song. She needed motivation, and she also missed her dad. She checked the windows and doors, as always, to be sure no one could hear her. She was kind of embarrassed about letting anyone hear her sing.

Seeing that the coast was clear, she started to strum her chords.

* * *

_All clear_, a stoic, dark haired teen thought to himself. He was really getting tired of this. Every day, these dumb fangirls would crowd him, squeal in his ear, or even… cling on him. He shuddered. He really couldn't stand it. He just wanted some peace. But today… today was a whole different level. That red head… Karin, maybe… would NOT leave him ALONE. He sunk to a new low by ditching her and hiding in a storage area in the back of school. He waited until he was sure she had given up.

Sighing, he got up, and started to head up to the school's entrance, when he heard something...

_All I know is your not here to say what you always used to say,_

_But it's written in the sky tonight._

_So I won't give up; no, I won't break down._

_Sooner than it seems life turns around_

_And I will be strong, even if it all goes wrong_

_When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe_

_Someone's watching over me… _

Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks as he listened. He didn't really know the tune, but the lyrics were so… deep? Maybe. And that voice… who was it? He could tell whoever was singing was in pain. He made his way toward the music. However, when he got to the music room, he was too late: the room was quiet and empty. He looked around, but saw no one. Slowly, he turned around and walked out.

* * *

_Phew! That was close!_ Sakura had heard someone walking down the hall. She had panicked and ran out the back door. She supposed she'd have to end her session for the day. _Better head to work anyway._

* * *

_**Ooh, a bit of mystery. This probably sounds like other fictions, but what-the-hey. I LOVE MUSIC!**_

_**Please review!**_


	2. Keep Holding On

**_Now I know it started out depressing. But this chapter will focus more on Sasuke. I know it's shorter than the last chapter. Sorry!_**

* * *

_Keep holding on_

_'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_

_Just stay strong_

_'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you_

_There's nothing you could say_

_Nothing you could do_

_There's no other way when it comes to the truth_

_So keep holding on_

_'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through_

Sakura sighed as she put her guitar away. Even though she had been singing, those lyrics were what she needed to hear. She had just gone through another day of that redhead's torture. _Seriously, what did I ever do to her?_

"Well, I better get to work…"

* * *

Sasuke had become intrigued by this new mystery: the unknown singer. He didn't exactly know why, but he just had to know who was in the music room. He had heard it again after school. That was the second time. He tried to catch the source, but he couldn't get there before being mobbed by fans.

Judging by the voice, it was probably a girl. Problem was, he didn't know which girl, and there's no way in hell he's going to approach one of them anytime soon. He'd had more than enough of fangirls. So, he tried the next thing he could think of… which he had yet to come up with.

"HEY, TEME! WAIT UP!" Someone practically jumped on Sasuke as his arm slung on his shoulder.

"Hn. What do you want, dobe?"

"Is that really how to treat your best friend, teme?"

"I don't know. But that's how to treat a loser." He smirked. Oh, how he enjoyed tormenting Naruto Uzumaki, that blonde idiot. They've known each other since they were kids. This was the norm for them.

"Hey! Who says I'm a loser?!" He held up his fist as he glared at Sasuke. He sighed.

"Are you going to tell me why you're here or not?"

The blonde blinked. "Huh? Oh, yeah! I was just trying to figure out what had you so distracted. Usually you sense me coming a mile away!"

"Like I'd tell you."

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he grinned. "It's a girl, isn't it?"

Sasuke gave a smirk. _In a way, the dobe's right for once. _At seeing this, Naruto's eyes widened.

"OH MAN, I WAS RIGHT?! I MEAN, I WAS JUST KIDDING, YA KNOW?! THAT'S THE LAST THING I EXPECTED! HOLY CRAP! IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD, I TELL YOU! THE HEARTLESS BASTARD ACTUALLY-"

He was cut off as Sasuke smacked the top of his head. "It's not like that, dobe!"

"ARGHH! TEME, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?!"

"Hn."

"DON'T START THAT AGAIN!"

Sasuke sighed. "Why do you have to be so obnoxious? You're making a scene…"

Naruto looked around and saw the stares of just about everyone around them. He blushed and scratched the back of his head. "Ehehehe… s-sorry 'bout that…"

Sasuke turned and started to walk away. Naruto caught this, and immediately ran to catch up with him. "So, how about you tell me what's going on? I mean, if it involves you and a girl, it must be serious."

Sasuke shook his head. He really didn't want to talk to Naruto about this… But that idiot won't leave him alone without some story. He had to distract him. He was going to hate himself in the morning. "Hey, Uzumaki. Want some… ramen?"

* * *

Sasuke sat across from Naruto as he slurped those noodles down. He was pleased he had completely forgotten their previous conversation. Though now he was feeling annoyed for a new reason: dobe's eating habits.

"Dobe, have you guys made a plan for our gig? You know we're playing at the school festival…"

"Why're you asking me? Aren't you in charge?"

"I told you. I don't care about this. You're the one who signed us up for it."

"C'mon, Sasuke! You're our lead guitar and singer! We NEED you! This could totally bring up our rep. And we're helping out the school! And-"

"And all you want is to impress that Hyugga girl. I know all about that…"

"W-WHAT? N-no way! There's nothing like that going on! I mean she's Neji's cousin! He'd kill me if he found out!"

Sasuke smirked. "Found out what, dobe? I thought there's nothing going on?"

Naruto glared. "Shut up."

"Hn."

* * *

"A-achoo!" squeaked the shy dark haired girl.

Ino looked at her. "Well that was random. You're not sick, are you?"

"N-no. It's nothing."

Ino grinned. "Then that means someone's talking about you. Could be the love of your life."

Hinata's face quickly turned red. "I-Ino, there's no way! I-it's just a s-sneeze!"

"Whatever you say."

_**Haha! Classic! :D**_


	3. Break Away

**_Yay! I finally got another chapter done! And our main couple is finally going to make contact! (It's a bit long this time.) Enjoy!_**

**_I do NOT own Naruto._**

* * *

_How the hell did I get into this mess?_ Sasuke thought bitterly. He was in the classroom by himself. It was his turn to clean up after class; actually, Naruto was supposed to help him, but that idiot took off before he could stop him.

"_Thanks, Teme! I owe you one!" _

To make matters worse, the girls all tried to help, but they all wanted to be alone with him. Sick of the touching and the arguing, he lost it.

"_JUST GET OUT! I'LL DO IT MYSELF!" _

Not wanting to upset him further, they took off. As an extra precaution, he locked the door and blocked the window. He didn't want anyone spying on him like last time. His blood boiled just thinking about it.

_I'm going to kill him later. _This was getting old fast, and he still had homework to do. It felt like this would take all night. _Enjoy your last moments, Dobe, because there'll be hell to pay!_

When he finally finished for the night, he went out to the hall to get his stuff. He went past the music room, which reminded him of his mystery. _It's been a while since I heard anything._

As he walked down the hallway, he noticed a girl with pink hair coming from the other direction. Sasuke sweat dropped and sighed, bracing himself. But nothing happened. He stopped and turned around. The girl had walked right past him; she didn't even look at him. Not that he didn't appreciate it, but that was out of the norm for him. He managed to keep walking, but his mind was still confused. _Wait. Didn't that girl I helped in the courtyard have pink hair, too? There's no way more than one person has that hair color._ When he thought about it, she had taken off after muttering a quick "Thanks," that time. Why didn't she pounce with a bunch of thank-yous or something? Most girls would have gotten the wrong idea.

He had only helped on a whim. He saw her on the ground with her things scattered. He never saw the fall, but he didn't feel right leaving her like that. So, not knowing why, he had bent down and picked up one of her books. He tried not to look at her, imagining the stars in her eyes. He really hated that. He was surprised when she simply took the book and ran off. _Strange girl._

But Sasuke didn't have time for that. He had some business to take care of with a certain traitorous idiot. And he knew exactly where to look for him.

* * *

Naruto was sitting at his favorite seat at Ichiraku, his all-time favorite ramen shop. He was happily slurping those delicate, savory noodles, when he felt a deadly aura. "Hey there, Dobe."

Naruto began coughing and gagging as he choked on his ramen. Sasuke stood over him, watching the pitiful scene. However, this time, it was a little amusing. "Ah! S-Sasuke! I didn't think I'd s-see you here! Wh-what're you doing?"

Sasuke kept quiet. He just kept up his Uchiha glare. There was no person alive who could witness this look without quaking in fear. As for Naruto, he was shaking like a rattle and sweating like a pig.

Naruto gulped. "C-come on, Sasuke! I _had_ to leave! Really, have you _seen_ me clean? I would've made it worse, r-right? So, I did you a favor… GAH! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!"

Sasuke couldn't take it. The dobe was acting like a moron again, and people were staring. He had to shut him up fast… so he smacked him on the head with his fist. "Shut up, Dobe! I'll let this one go if you answer one question."

"Really? Then, ask away! I'm an open book!"

"How'd you know that? You've never opened a book in your life."

"…just ask already."

Sasuke sat down in the seat next to him. "Have you seen a girl with pink hair at school?"

"Huh? Why're you asking about her?

"Do you want to die?"

Naruto quickly raised his hands. "Okay, okay! Yeah, I've seen her. She hangs out with Hinata-chan."

_Hyuga's cousin, huh?_ "Alright then, what's her name?"

"Uh… I don't know."

Sasuke growled. "Naruto…"

"NO! HONEST! I'VE NEVER TALKED TO HER EVER! I SWEAR!"

Sasuke sighed. Of course the dobe wouldn't know anything. But he kept his end of the bargain, so he had to spare him.

Seeing that the Uchiha had calmed down, Naruto also relaxed. "Well, since you're here, how about we hang out for a while?"

"I'm not paying your tab."

"Aw, come on, Teme! I'm really short on cash, and I'm still hungry!"

"Forget it."

Naruto slumped. He couldn't win. Especially after he already ditched him today. "Well, can I at least ask you a favor? I need to borrow your notes for ancient history."

"What do you need… You forgot about your retake, didn't you?"

Naruto shrugged. "I got busy. Just let me borrow them for tonight. I'll give them back tomorrow at school, and that's a promise!"

Sasuke sighed yet again. "Whatever."

* * *

"You guys didn't really have to wait for me." Sakura told her friends. She had found them all in the courtyard.

Hinata smiled. "It's fine. Really."

"Yeah, it's not like we get to hang out as often as we used to." Tenten added.

"Well, what're we waiting for? Let's go!" Ino grabbed Sakura by the arm and pulled her away, followed by a giggling Hinata and Tenten.

"So how'd you do on that exam, Tenten?"

"Ugh. I don't want to think about it."

"You think you failed?"

"What? No! It just took so long!"

Sakura smirked. "Please. You just wanted to get out early to watch Neji at practice."

Tenten got flustered. "AS IF!" The rest of the girls giggled.

Ino suddenly clapped her hands together. "Well, since we're on the topic of boys…" The others groaned. "Oh, get over it! I have a serious problem!"

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Really? What is it this time?"

"The school's festival is coming up, and I can't decide on a date!"

Sakura raised her eyebrows. "You're asking someone?"

Ino smiled. "Of course not. I've just had so many invites, and I can't pick one."

"Ummm… Ino, isn't the festival not for a while yet?" Hinata pointed out.

"Well, yeah. But if you want a date, you need to get on that early. What about you guys? Are you going with anybody?"

"I'm not interested in the whole date thing. But, I might check out the festival anyway."

"Excellent! And you, Hinata?"

Hinata squirmed in her seat and blushed. The other girls grinned at each other. They were well aware of the dark-haired girl's crush. "You should go for it, Hinata! You've had a crush on Naruto since, like, elementary school!"

"Wha-wha…"

"I remember that. Didn't he save you from those bullies?"

"W-well, yes he did, but I don't think he'll like me that way…"

Ino sighed. "You're so stubborn. What about you, Sakura? Are you coming this year?"

"No. I have to work again."

"Aw, Sakura, you're such a work-aholic! You never come to these things! Can't you get out of it just this once?"

"I'm sorry. I just can't." _I can't handle being around all those people. What if I run into Karin?_

* * *

The next morning, Sasuke went to campus a little earlier than usual. He had to make sure he got his notes before the fangirls attacked. He looked around for Naruto. When he spotted him talking to Shikamaru, he went over. "Dobe, where's my notes?"

Naruto froze on the spot. Sasuke knew that look. "Dobe, you didn't…"

He pushed his pointer fingers together. "I…uh… I guess I… forgot your notebook?"

That aura that scared him the night before… returned about ten times deadlier. "GAH!" He raised his arms as he braced for the pain… any minute….any minute… he opened an eye. The Uchiha wasn't even looking at him. Suddenly he took off. "Huh? Teme! Where're ya goin?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Naruto… if I was in your place, I wouldn't be calling Sasuke back here. He wants to kill you after all."

You could almost see a light bulb flicker on as he realized he was right. "Uh… maybe we should just leave him alone."

"Troublesome."

* * *

Sasuke had definitely been ready to kill Naruto. He even planned the perfect combination of movements. But, he saw Karin and some other girls heading in the same direction. Judging by the looks on their faces, they were up to something. His curiosity got the best of him, and he followed. He hid behind a corner and observed as they cornered another girl. _Wait. I think I see pink…_

"What is it now, Karin?"

"Alone again, Haruno?"

"You have eyes. Why don't you use them?"

Sasuke smirked. _Fiesty_.

"Well, look at Miss Confident over here. That's pretty brave for someone as low as yourself…"

"I saw you cleaning classrooms last night, Haruno! What are you, a _maid_?"

"She's probably sucking up to the teachers. Pretty desperate, huh, slut?"

One girl piped up. "Maybe we should call her 'Whore-uno!" The girls stared at her for a second. Karin shook her head. The poor girl whimpered "Or not…"

Karin turned back to Sakura. "So, Haruno, does that mean you're looking for work? I'm sure we could find a job for you cleaning bathrooms in my manor!"

"… what's your problem with me? What have I ever-"

Karin slapped her across the face. "Maids shouldn't talk back to their mistress! Geez, that's what I get for showing compassion to a reject like you. How about you just go back to where you belong, if that place even exists?"

With that, the girls walked off, cackling all the way.

Sasuke felt something squirm deep in his gut, but he ignored it. The girl just stayed put: no tears, no retaliation. Then, she began to shake, and Sasuke spotted a glistening tear before she ran off. He quickly followed after her. He followed her all the way to the roof. When he caught up with her, she was crying, and he suddenly felt extremely awkward. _I hate these kinds of things_. Not sure what to do, he slowly sat next to her. He made sure not to look as her head quickly turned to him, tears streaming down her face. "W-Wha-"

"I know I don't know you too well, but it's okay if you want to talk about it."

The girl was silent for a moment. Then she spoke up. "Why would you care?"

Sasuke then turned to her. He took one look at her eyes and was captured in a sparkling shade of green. _That's…different_. He quickly snapped out of his trance. "I saw what happened."

The girl looked back down. Sasuke was pretty sure he should try to cheer her up. He had to think of something to say. "Forget what they say. Everyone has a purpose in life. You need to believe in it and stand up for yourself."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Where'd you hear something like that?"

"Hn…a friend of mine." _Damn, I sound like the Dobe!_

They sit in silence. Sasuke was feeling really uncomfortable, and he doubted he was helping her. He started to get up, but she suddenly spoke up. "I-I know we're not really friends… but… could you maybe stay? I'm just… sick of being alone…"

Sasuke's eyes softened. He knew too well what true loneliness is like. He sighed and sat back down. He stiffened when she suddenly leaned on him, but she quickly shot back up. "S-sorry. I don't know why I did that."

_No one's ever respected my personal space… well, no girls anyway._ "Hn."

He gently grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back in, though not firm enough that she couldn't resist. She gave a small gasp, but Sasuke soon felt her relax. And there they sat.

Later that night, Sakura couldn't stop thinking about what Sasuke said. _"Everyone has a purpose in life. You need to believe in it and stand up for yourself."_

"I need to… believe in myself?" She looked over to her guitar. She picked it up. "Let's give it a try."

_I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly._

_I'll do what it takes 'til I touch the sky. I'll_

_Make a wish, take a chance,_

_Make a change, and break away._

* * *

**_Please review. I care about what you think. Really, I HAVE to know if I suck! Or you should tell me what I do right! Please, please, PLEASE!_**


	4. The Only Exception

_**Just a quick note. Bold, all capital letters is Inner Sakura talking. Though, I'm pretty sure fans know that...**_

* * *

Things were getting strange. Sasuke just couldn't get that girl out of his head. He still didn't know her name, yet he felt… like he needed to be beside her. Like she could break at any moment.

They had stayed on the roof until the bell rang. To Sasuke, she didn't look ready to go anywhere, but she was dead set on leaving. She took off like a flash. Sasuke, on the other hand, didn't feel like going anywhere, so he sat for a while. _Why did I do that? I've never cared about crying girls; fans do it all the time. So, why? I even let her lean on me. It actually felt…_

Sasuke quickly shook his head. He was getting worked up over nothing. These thoughts were ridiculous anyway. Weren't they?

* * *

Sakura was off-balance. Why would Sasuke Uchiha care about a nobody like her? _Everyone says that he's coldhearted and never shows a hint of kindness to anyone, not even his best friend. Then, what was that on the roof?_ Sakura's eyes softened a bit. _It's the first time I've felt this way. No boy has ever treated me that way, except…Dad…_

It was pretty shocking to see him sitting next to her. She didn't notice anyone following her. Then he starting talking; she was sure he was just trying to mock her. But she was so exhausted. She was tired: tired of Karin, tired of high school, and tired of feeling alone all the time. Without realizing what she was doing, she asked him to stay. What's worse, she started to lean on him for support. She snapped out of it; she was definitely invading his personal space! But, he pulled her back down. _He comforted me. Maybe… he's different from the rest of them. Maybe… he's not such a bad guy._

* * *

_When all you've got to keep is strong_

_Move along, move along, like I know you do_

_And even when your hope is gone_

_Move along, move along, just to make it through._

Sasuke's head was a mess; even the lyrics were reminding him of… her. It was pretty obvious at band practice that he was completely out of it.

Kiba, the drummer, suddenly stopped, ending the song as he shouted, "Hey Sasuke, what's with you?"

Sasuke didn't even spare a glance. "Hn."

Naruto saw this, and he waggled his eyebrows. "It's nothing, Kiba. Except that TEME'S BEEN THINKING ABOUT A GIRL!"

Kiba's eyes widened. "What?! There's no way!"

Neji put down his bass guitar and rolled his eyes. "Uzumaki, do you honestly expect us to believe that nonsense?"

Naruto turned to Neji, waving his arms for emphasis. "It's true! He told me himself! Well, the words never exactly came out of his mouth… Whatever! Teme, just tell them the truth, already!"

If there were ever a time Sasuke really, really wanted the dobe to burn, it'd be now. Shikamaru noticed the Uchiha glare almost immediately. He sighed and scratched his head as he stepped away from the keyboard.

"Naruto, we shouldn't be worried about a troublesome thing like that. You obviously have no proof, so you might as well drop it. Besides, we're still waiting on you to pick the music for the festival."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Oh, crap! I forgot!" All of the guys groaned. They really should've seen this coming.

Neji spoke up first, obviously irritated. "I don't see what's so difficult about choosing a song."

Naruto glared. "Well, excuuuse me! I just want to pick something that'll make us sound awesome no matter what, but it should be something different, too! Something that everyone will like!"

Kiba shook his head. "Do you hear yourself right now? You sound like a chick…"

"Shut up! Are you going to help me or what?!"

Sasuke had decided long ago to ignore them. He already told them he didn't care, so they didn't bother. But, when Naruto mentioned wanting something different, he thought back to the mystery singer. _If I could just figure out who it is… but I don't know any girls except… _His thoughts traveled back to the pink haired girl. She seemed to be one of the only girls he could potentially get along with. _Maybe she could help me out… what's her name, again?_

* * *

The next day, Sakura was digging for her things from her locker. She sighed, bracing herself for another day. _Karin knows about my job… now she'll treat me like her pitiful servant. Perfect. I don't know how this can get any worse…_

When she got what she needed, she closed the door… to find Sasuke Uchiha right next to her locker. He was casually leaning against the locker next to hers, looking up at nothing in particular. Sakura was absolutely stupefied! Her jaw dropped as she tried to form words.

"Wh-what are you-"

"I came to walk you to class."

"What?! Why?"

He gave her a look. Just by looking at it, Sakura translated it into "_Are you serious?"_ She sighed. This guy had no clue what he was getting into. She hardly knew him, but with such a big reputation, she figured he'd want to keep it. Trying to spare him, she started to explain.

"Don't you know what hanging out with-"

"Are you coming or what?" Sakura looked up and saw the boy was gone. She whirled around. The Uchiha had already started walking.

_He didn't even listen to me! He's going to destroy his reputation!_

**JUST GO WITH IT! YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED SOMEONE TO WALK YOU TO CLASS!**

_That's true. Ino, Tenten, and Hinata are in a different class, and it's kind of lonely… _

**JUST WALK ALREADY!**

Sighing in defeat, she quickly went after him. "WAIT! You don't even know where my class is, do you?!"

She finally caught up, though she had a little trouble keeping up with his pace. Then, he suddenly slowed down a little. They walked in silence, but Sakura's head was a mess._ He's teasing me, isn't he? That has to be it. Why else would he suddenly give me attention?_

She was so lost in her thoughts that she failed to notice Sasuke looking at her. He was trying to figure her out, but he didn't know where to start. So, he looked ahead again and came up with the first question that came to mind.

"Hey. What's your name?"

_EH?!_ She tripped a little. _Blunt much?_ "Wait, you're walking me to class so you can learn my name?"

Sasuke stopped walking. He looked at her confused expression, but looked away again. That's not all he wanted to learn, but he didn't feel like giving her the real reason.

"Hn."

_Did he just _grunt_ at me? He _is_ mocking me! That jerk!_ Sakura fumed. He had some nerve. He knew nothing about her, yet he was treating her like she was some kind of idiot. _Forget the "not such a bad guy' thing. He's an ass!_

They didn't move. Apparently, Sasuke wasn't planning on moving until she told him. To Sakura, that was a sign that he was actually interested in her name. She calmed down, realizing that she at least owed him that much.

"Well… it's Sakura. Sakura Haruno." Her eyes were downcast. Sasuke observed her. _Why does she look ashamed? All she did was say her name._

Proper etiquette required him to give his name in return. He figured she might relax if he did. "I'm-"

"I know who you are, Uchiha. Who doesn't?"

Well, that didn't help. It seemed that knowing who he was made her more uncomfortable. Here he was, trying his best to befriend her, and she kept tensing, like she didn't trust him. _Dammit. Why is she so… annoying?_

When Sakura stopped, Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts. They must have arrived at Sakura's class. Sasuke looked at the door, and his eyes widened. This was _his_ class! _How have I never noticed her?_ Something squirmed in his gut. Was it… guilt? Pity? Shame? He wasn't sure. Either way, he didn't like it.

Sakura read his expression loud and clear.

"It's fine. I usually sit in the back, anyway. I didn't expect you to notice me. Oh, and if you don't want people getting the wrong idea, you might want to wait a bit before going in. Don't want to destroy the Uchiha reputation, now do we?"

Before he could ask what she meant by that, she smiled and went to her seat. _I should thank him…. But not in front of everyone else._

* * *

Later that day at lunch, Sasuke was sitting with his group as usual. Nartuo was whining about his retake, while the others were either rolling their eyes or mocking him. Kiba seemed to do most of the mocking. "Man, you're such an idiot!"

Suddenly, he spotted Sakura coming in with her friends. It still bothered him that he never noticed her before. Now that he knew, he just couldn't miss her. Of course, her hair and eyes were unique, but what he noticed the most was her smile. Something stirred in him when he first saw it. Watching her now, it was hard to believe this was the same girl who had been driven to tears the other day. _But, is that smile a genuine-_

"EARTH TO TEME!" Naruto had been waving his hand in Sasuke's face. Sasuke grabbed it and started to crush it in his grasp. Naruto started to struggle. "Hey! Cut that out! That hurts, ya know?!"

Neji decided to look in the direction Sasuke had been spacing out. What he saw was his cousin's group of friends. _Odd…must be a coincidence. _He turned back to the others… who hadn't noticed due to the ruckus, which was once again caused by that loud-mouthed idiot.

* * *

Sakura scurried around the classroom, finishing up her duties. She may work part time cleaning, but she also cleaned some of the classrooms once in a while for a little extra money. Lady Tsunade, the principal, was aware of her situation and allowed it; Sakura was extremely grateful.

She was just about done when she heard noise coming from another classroom. Curious, she quickly finished and went to check. What she found was quite surprising. There stood Sasuke Uchiha, cleaning a classroom by himself. _What's up with that? _He was sweeping the floor, and he seemed to be grumbling to himself. From what she could gather, he still had a long way to go. _This could be my way to thank him._ Unlocking the door with the key she had been given for cleaning purposes, she grabbed a rag and went to work on the boards.

Sasuke had been too caught up in his work and rage to notice anything. Suddenly, he sensed another presence. Didn't he lock the door? _Damn it. It better not be a fangirl_. He looked over and was surprised to see Sakura. "What are you doing?"

Sakura froze for a second. She didn't look at him. "I just thought you could use a hand… I owe you, anyway." With that, she got back to work.

"For wha-"

She cut him off. "So, why are you cleaning the classroom by yourself?"

Sasuke was caught off guard. "… Hn." This was a punishment because he didn't hand in his homework, which had been in the notebook he lent to Naruto, but there's no way in hell he'd tell her that. _Damn that dobe. If I had my notes, I wouldn't be here..."_

Sakura sighed. _What's with this guy and grunting?_ She decided the best thing to do was to focus on the task at hand. But then, out of nowhere, Sasuke spoke up.

"You don't have to do that. It's my responsibility."

Shocked that he used a complete sentence, she quickly composed herself before she turned to him and smirked. "Please. If you did this alone, you'd be here all night."

Sasuke closed his eyes and turned away. "I'll be fine on my own."

It was a battle of stubbornness. Sakura gaped at him. All she wanted was to repay the favor! What's wrong with accepting her help?

She concluded that she was probably threatening the Uchiha's pride, so she tried to compromise.

"Fine. Let me finish this and the windows. You can do the rest."

Saskue tried to retort but she went back to work, obviously ending the conversation.

* * *

Sakura kept her word and left after she did her tasks. Sasuke wouldn't admit it, but he did appreciate her help. He wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. He went to the hall to take the trash out. That's when he heard it…

_And I've always lived like this_

_Keeping a comfortable distance_

_And up until now I had sworn to my self that I'm content with loneliness_

_Because none of it was ever worth the risk_

_Well you are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_It's her again…_ Sasuke was tempted more than anything to look inside. But, the windows were blocked and the door was locked. He could only listen; he couldn't explain it, but he liked to hear her sing. So, he stayed for the remainder of the song. When it ended, he took off to finish cleaning_. I'll save this mystery for another day. Don't want to lose my entertainment._ He smirked to himself, looking back at the music room. _But I _will_ uncover your secret eventually._


	5. Pieces of Me

It was the end of another school day, and Sakura was gathering her things for the weekend. _Alright, I think I have everything, so…._

Just then, her phone went off. She took a look, seeing Tenten's picture on the screen. "Yeah?"

"_Hey, Sakura. Glad I caught you. You're not going to believe this, but…"_

"What?"

"…_Neji wants me to practice with him!"_

"What?! Like a date?"

"_Yea- NO! He's just going to help me… umm… perfect my…uh…"_

Sakura grinned as Tenten stuttered. _In a way, she's acting like Hinata_. _Why would she need help with her skills? Tenten's an awesome athlete. Besides, can Neji even play volleyball?_ She broke from her thoughts as Tenten changed the topic.

"_Anyway, he wants to meet now, but I already promised I'd drive you to work…"_

"Forget it, Tenten. I can find another ride." With that, she added a "Have f_un_!" She could just imagine Tenten's cheeks burning with pink!

"_F-fun?! This is practice! Completely professional!"_

"If you say so. I'll see you tomorrow."

"… _Okay. Thanks, Sak."_ That nickname always made her smile. Only Tenten called her that, but it reminded her of…

She shook her head as she hung up. Now was not the time to reminisce. She had to find a way to get to work…

She may have told Tenten that she could find a ride, but that was actually next to impossible. Ino and Hinata were probably long gone, and it's not like she had the courage to ask someone else. "Crap. What do I do now?"

"So you need a lift?"

Sakura jumped and whirled around to see none other than Sasuke standing behind her with his hands in his pockets. _Why does he have to look so cool all the time?_

Sakura huffed. "How long were you standing there?!"

"Not long."

Sakura folded her arms and turned away. She could not believe this guy! It's like he just did what he pleased all the time.

"Did you want a ride or not?"

Sakura's eyes widened a little. She almost forgot about work. She sighed. She _was_ pretty desperate… _I guess he's the only option._

"…Yeah. I need to get to work, but my ride got busy… Are you offering?"

"Hn." He started to walk towards the exit. Sakura wasn't sure if that was a "yes" or a "no," so she thought her best bet would be to follow him.

* * *

As they walked to the parking lot, Sakura's thoughts began to wander_. I wonder what kind of car he drives... I mean, don't guys like him go for sports cars? Or maybe a truck? Nah, he's not that kind of guy…_

Lost in her thoughts, she almost failed to notice Sasuke stop… in front of a motorcycle! She gasped. Sasuke turned to her and noticed her expression. He closed his eyes. "Look, this is what I drive, so if you got a problem, you can just-"

"Come on, let's go already!"

Sasuke looked up and saw that she was already on his bike with a huge grin on her face. She even found his spare helmet and was ready to go. _Well, that's surprising._

* * *

The ride was pretty quiet, minus the directions Sakura gave him. Sasuke half-expected her to scream or squeeze him for dear life. Isn't that what girls do on a bike? Instead, she just loosely had her arms around him, holding on just enough to make sure she wouldn't fall. Not that he minded.

They pulled up in front of a tall office building. "This is it."

Sasuke looked over his shoulder. "So… how long do you have to work?"

Not catching the hidden question, Sakura answered as she got off the bike. "Oh, only for four or five hours. It's part-time, after all."

She took her helmet off and shook her hair loose. Sasuke felt strange again. She kind of looked nice with that messy, wind-swept look. _Wait, where the hell did that come from?_ That's when he noticed Sakura looking at him. _Damn, I was staring!_ He quickly looked away. Sakura was a bit confused, but she ignored it.

"Well, thanks for the ride." She smiled at him before heading in.

Once she got to the backroom to change, Ayame, one of her coworkers with bright brown eyes and a bandana covering her dark hair, ran up to her. "Sakura, who was that guy that brought you here?! He's really cute! Is he your boyfriend or something?"

Sakura blushed. "No, it's nothing like that! I needed a ride, and he was there! That's it!"

"Is he coming back after your shift?"

Sakura scoffed. "I highly doubt it. He has a life, you know. Why would he waste it on me?"

Ayame smiled. "You never know, Sakura…" With that, the two got to work.

* * *

By the end of her shift, Sakura was completely exhausted. _Why did it feel like there was ten times more cleaning today?_ She sighed. _Mom's still at work, so she can't come get me, and I don't want to bug my friends… It's going to be a long walk home._

Ayame ran up to her, waving her hand in the air. "Sakura! Sakura!"

"Ayame? What's up?" _Where'd that energy come from? She should be tired, too!_

Ayame stopped in front of Sakura with her eyes wide and hands folded. She looked like she was trying to stop herself from jumping up and down. Sakura sweat-dropped. _Seriously, why isn't she exhausted?_

"Okay, so I was just finishing up in the lobby, when I randomly looked out the window, and… and…"

"What?"

"…I saw that guy out there! He came back for you! Isn't that just romantic?"

Sakura gaped at her before she closed her eyes as a vein popped on her head. "Actually, I'd go with creepy."

"Well, go already! He's waiting!" Ayame gave her a wink and shoved her towards the door.

"Ayame!" Luckily, Sakura caught herself so she didn't face plant in the entrance. Curious, she peeked out the window, and there he was, leaning on his motorcycle, just like Ayame said.

He turned to her as she walked out. "You done?"

"Yeah. But, why are you here?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I figured you'd want a ride back."

"Well, yeah, but you didn't…" She looked at him for a second. _This is… really thoughtful. _

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Sakura smiled. "Thank you. That's sweet of you."

Sasuke suddenly felt his cheeks get hot. _Wait, an Uchiha doesn't __blush__!_ He turned away. "Whatever."

"Well, I hope you don't get in any trouble with your parents or anything."

Sakura noticed Sasuke's expression turn grim. "Sasuke?"

He ignored her and got on the bike. Feeling really awkward all of a sudden, Sakura climbed on, and they rode off in silence. When they arrived at her house, she looked at him. She could tell something was bothering him. _It's my fault. It has to be_. She looked down.

"… I'm sorry."

She quickly bolted into the house before he could reply. Sasuke was dumbfounded. _What's she apologizing for?_

* * *

"Alright, let's get this party started!" Naruto shouted as he slung an arm around Sasuke's neck, which resulted in the Uchiha smacking him on the head. Neji sighed, and Shikamaru muttered, "Troublesome," under his breath.

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Naruto, it's just the mall. Chill, would ya?"

Naruto just grinned. "I can't help it! It's been forever since we got to just hang out!"

"What about rehearsal?"

"That's work! I mean having fun!"

Sasuke couldn't stand how annoying this was. That dobe had called him first thing that morning insisting that the group got together. At first, he just hung up, but that idiot kept calling and calling, until Sasuke gave in. Still, why did they have to meet at a mall? He hated this place. Especially…_them_. Sasuke saw a group of drooling girls out of the corner of his eye. "Hn. Annoying."

* * *

_I can't believe Ino. She calls me up, claiming to face a crisis. All she needed was a stupid dress! Why'd she have to drag me along?_

Sakura sat by the dressing room with her arms crossed. She wasn't really in to clothes shopping, but Ino was. At the moment, the blonde was busy trying on dress after dress. _This could take a while…_ Her stomach started to growl. Time for some food.

"Hey, Pig, I'm getting something to eat. Want anything?"

"Are you kidding, Forehead? I need you here! I can't pick on my own!"

"I'll just be a minute! Narrow your choices down while I'm gone!"

* * *

Sasuke was really getting pissed. He was just walking in the mall, minding his own business, when those stupid fangirls kept showing up. The crowd got so huge, he lost his group, so he did what he could to escape. Now he was resting on a bench. He looked at his phone. _No good. The signal's too weak._ He sighed. Maybe it was time to leave…

"SASUKE! Over here!"

He cringed. He knew that squeal, and it's the last thing he wanted to hear.

Karin bounced over to him, though Sasuke refused to acknowledge her presence. "So, Sasuke, what are you up to? Are you busy?"

"Get lost."

"Oh, don't be like that! This is the perfect chance for us to have that date you promised!"

"I don't recall ever promising that."

Karin wasn't paying attention. She just sat down next to him. "It's not like you're doing anything right now, so come on! We can have some…_fun_." She winked. He assumed she was trying to flirt, but he wanted to vomit.

He had to say something, or she would never go away. "I'm already here with someone."

She started to lean on him. "Is that so? Well, I don't see anybody."

Sasuke knew he had to think fast. He scanned the area, praying to spot a familiar face. No such luck. Suddenly, he saw a flash of pink. He smirked. "Actually, she's right over there."

* * *

Sakura had intended to get food and go back to Ino right away. Honest. But, she never made it to the food court. As soon as she walked past a music store, she couldn't help but look at the guitars on display. Hers was decent, of course, but it never hurt to browse.

"Sorry to make you wait."

Sakura turned to see Sasuke walking up to her. She gave a questioning expression, but then she saw Karin watching him intently from a bench. She looked at Sasuke, who whispered, _"_Play along."

She gave an understanding smile. "No problem. I wasn't waiting long. Ready to go in?" She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the store. They noticed Karin's jaw practically drop to the floor.

* * *

Once inside, Sakura let go of his hand.

She smirked. "You're welcome!"

She started to look at the guitars some more. She found the one she's been wanting for a while: a blue acoustic guitar with a single cherry blossom pattern on the end. She sighed. "It's too bad I could never afford anything like this."

"You play?"

Sakura jumped. She didn't notice he was still there. She blushed from embarrassment. "Ummm… a little… I'm not as good as you or Naruto Uzumaki. I've seen your band perform, and I think you guys are awesome!" She looked around and grabbed a guitar. "Care to show me what you got?"

Now it was Sasuke's turn to smirk. He took it from her, sat down on a stool, and started to go. He picked something a little gentler. Sakura recognized it. "'Rockstar' by Nickelback. Interesting choice."

When Sasuke had finished, he noticed girls starting to stare again. He growled. "Come on, let's get out of here." Before she could protest, he grabbed her hand and left the store.

* * *

Ino stared at the mountain of dresses before her.

"Narrow your choices, she says. I just can't! Which one's the best? They all look good on me!"

She sighed and sat down. "How long does it take to get a snack?"

* * *

"Sasuke, where are you taking me?"

"Away from them."

"Okay, but why did I have to come along?"

Sasuke stopped. Why _did_ he bring her? She was just a way to get rid of Karin…right?

Sakura suddenly pulled away from his grasp. Sasuke turned around to see her heading for a photo booth. "I've always wanted to use one of these! Sasuke, wanna do it?"

Her childlike behavior almost made him smile. _Almost_.

"Hn. No."

Sakura's eyes fell. Seeing that stirred something in Sasuke. Why did she do these things to him? Sighing, he walked over to the booth. When she saw this, Sakura immediately lit up and hurried over.

It was 4 quick shots. They sat inside. Sakura gave a nice smile while Sasuke looked up in the corner. He didn't like how crowded it was in there. Sakura noticed Sasuke's attitude and snuck some bunny ears behind his head. He looked up at her fingers as the camera clicked for the second shot. Annoyed, he lightly hit her on the head as she started laughing. That was the third shot. He watched her laugh as the fourth picture was taken; a barely noticeable smile appeared on his face.

* * *

Sasuke and Sakura ended up going to the food court together. Sakura smiled as she looked at the pictures. She handed a copy of the roll to Sasuke. He frowned.

"I said I didn't want any."

"Just take them already."

Sasuke slowly accepted the gift. As he grabbed it, their hands brushed slightly. Both were startled and looked at each other for what felt like an eternity. Suddenly, Sakura's phone started ringing. She snapped out of the trance and grabbed it.

"Crap," she muttered.

Sasuke looked at the photos as Sakura talked on her phone. He didn't know what to think. He just kept staring. He looked up again when Sakura hung up.

"I gotta go. I was supposed to meet someone, and now she's pissed. See ya." She waved, and Sasuke gave a nod.

When she was out of sight, he got up. He still had to find the guys. As he wandered, something in a window caught his eye.

* * *

As Sakura wandered back to the dress shop, she couldn't help but smile as a song kept playing in her head. She resisted the urge to sing out loud. She was in public after all.

_Oh, it seems like I can finally rest my head on something real._

_I like the way that feels._

_Oh, it's as if you know me better than I ever knew myself. I love that you can tell_

_By the pieces, pieces, pieces of me._

Little did she realize, Karin was watching her skip off, glaring with murderous intent. She mumbled under her breath. "You won't be skipping like that when I'm through. Sasuke is _mine_!"

* * *

_**Ok, now I have a quick author's note.**_

_**So the songs I've used so far are as follows (this is to give proper credit. I obviously don't own the music)**_

_**"Someone's Watching Over Me" by Hilary Duff**_

_**"Keep Holding On" by Avril L**_

_**"Break Away" by Kelly Clarkson**_

_**"Move Along" by the All American Rejects**_

_**"The Only Exception" by Paramore**_

_**And now, "Pieces of Me" by Ashlee Simpson **__**with a hint of "Rockstar" by Nickelback**_

_**I'm guessing you sense a theme going on. **_

_**Thanks for reading! :)**_


	6. Why Can't I?

Sasuke casually walked out of the store, when he heard a familiar scream…

"TEME!"

Sasuke sighed. He was hoping to sneak away and just go home.

"Where the hell have you been? I called you like 20 times, but it kept going straight to voicemail. You were ignoring me, weren't you?!"

Saskue pulled his phone from his pocket and held it up to him. "No signal."

Naruto looked confused, so Shikamaru enlightened him. "You should've known the mall has crappy reception."

Naruto scratched his head. "Eh…right. I knew that."

In the back of his mind, he appreciated that no one questioned why he had walked out of the store behind him. _Maybe they didn't notice._

* * *

"About time you showed up!" Ino hollered as Sakura approached the shop. To her surprise, Tenten and Hinata were standing with her.

Ignoring Ino's outburst, Sakura looked to them. "What are you guys doing here?"

Hinata smiled. "I-Ino told us you guys were here, and we d-decided to come, too."

Tenten grinned. "Yeah. We couldn't leave you to suffer alone, Sak."

Ino growled, annoyed at being ignored, "And what's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Thinking fast, Sakura spoke up. "So did you pick a dress, Pig?"

Ino blinked before getting really excited. "I did! And it's the cutest thing ever! But you won't believe how many dresses I had to go through to find it. And it would've gone faster if _someone_ had stayed to help!"

Trying to keep a war from starting, Hinata tried to distract Ino with another topic. "S-so, if you got a dress, does that m-mean you chose your date yet?"

What happened next was like the sign of the apocalypse. Ino blushed like a shy school girl!

"Actually, I met someone else. He's in the class ahead of us, but we have the same art class. He's been…giving me pointers. And he's really nice, not to mention super cute! He hasn't exactly asked me yet, but he will! I know he will! And if he doesn't, then this dress will make him sorry he didn't!"

When Ino noticed their eyes still on her, she decided to change the subject again. She coughed a little before turning back to Sakura.

"So, where were you, anyway? It doesn't take that long to get a bite."

Sakura began to sweat a little. She started to move her eyes around, looking anywhere but at them.

"Well… I kind of… ran into someone, and he-"

"HE?!" All three girls chimed. Sakura spending time with a boy was definitely not something that happened every day.

Sakura sweat-dropped. _Great. Now I'll have to tell them everything._ She sighed. "Come on. Let's go sit."

* * *

They found a spot near a coffee shop. There, Sakura told her story. "And that's it. You called me, and I came to meet up with you."

Ino raised an eyebrow. "Do you really expect us to believe that, Sakura? What would the great Sasuke Uchiha want with you? No offense."

Seeing the flash of hurt in Sakura's eyes, Ino realized her mistake and was about to apologize like crazy, but Hinata quickly chimed in to save her. "Uh, I think she means that Sasuke isn't one to…meet new people. He sticks to his friends."

Tenten lazily glanced at her while her cheek rested in her propped up hand. "That and he can't stand the opposite gender."

"I know. I'm just as confused as you guys."

Ino leaned back and folded her arms. "I mean, why would he randomly go up to you? He probably doesn't know you go to the same school, let alone the same class."

Sakura gave a small, nervous laugh. "Actually…"

Ino's eyes widened as her arms unfolded, and she leaned forward to get in Sakura's face.

"Sakura… what aren't you telling us?"

Hinata and Tenten leaned in to listen, their own eyes filled with curiosity. Sakura was trying with all of her might not to blush.

"I- I didn't think it was that big of a deal. Sasuke kind of… found me on the roof and we talked."

She didn't go into details of that incident. _There's no way I'm telling them I was crying again._

"Ever since then, he keeps showing up like some stalker. He's walked me to class, he took me to work, and he even came back to take me home. Now he just so happened to run into me here…" She looked up to see her friends' expressions of disbelief. "What?"

Suddenly, Ino and Tenten grinned. "Oh, come on, Sakura. You can't be _that_ naïve."

"_What_?" she repeated.

Ino couldn't help but squeal. "OMG, he's obviously got a thing for you!"

Sakura couldn't stop it anymore and immediately blushed. Hinata began to smile. "Oh, Sakura, that's wonderful!"

She started waving her hands in front of her face, trying to defend herself. "No! No! That's not possible! He's from a completely different world! He couldn't…"

"Let me ask you something." Sakura stopped and looked at Ino, who was carefully examining her as she spoke. "How do you feel about this?"

Sakura frowned. "Really uncomfortable. You guys are asking way too many questions."

Ino shook her head. "No, no, I mean how you feel about Sasuke."

Sakura looked down. "Umm… I don't really know. I mean, he's not as cold as everyone says he is. He's actually kind of… sweet, in a way. As creepy as he is."

Ino's eyes softened. "Sakura… You like him."

"What? No way! It's not like that! Why would I like a stalker like him?!"

"You did seem sort of happy when you came back. You were practically skipping." Tenten pointed out.

"I…was?" Now she was completely mortified! She shook her head. "It's not like that at all. I was happy to help him get away from Karin. He seemed desperate, so I helped him out. I owed him, anyway."

Her friends looked at her knowingly, but they dropped the subject.

* * *

Sakura spent the rest of the day at the mall, but her mind was elsewhere the whole time. She couldn't stop thinking about was Ino said.

_I…like Sasuke? Do I?_ When she thought about it, she wasn't sure. It's not like she ever had a boyfriend, so she didn't know how to feel.

Now she was home in her room. Her mom wouldn't be back for a while yet, so she had some time to herself to think.

_Why would I like him? He's one of them: popular and arrogant. Why waste time on me? It's just a coincidence…right? I only helped him because I owed him…right?_

She wasn't sure about anything anymore. She remembered seeing him tailed by Karin, and she decided to help him out… but there was no thought of owing him anything. He was just a guy in need, and she wanted to help him. Then he spent time with her, even after Karin had gone… that can't be a coincidence, can it?

Remembering something, she went to her desk and pulled out her photos. She stared at them for a while, and then she smiled. _I feel… different around him. Like I'm not afraid anymore._

She held her head. _What's wrong with me? I can't fall for someone like him. It's not right. It's impossible._

She turned her head to look at her guitar, sitting in the corner. She had brought it home for the weekend, and she figured now was a good time to practice. She picked it up. Without realizing what she was doing, she automatically strummed the chords.

* * *

Mrs. Haruno snuck in the house. She got off work a little early and wanted to surprise her daughter. She had just bought an adorable cake for the two of them to share. No occasion. She just didn't get a lot of quality time with her lately.

She walked up the stairs to tell Sakura, when she stopped. She was playing guitar again. Her heart felt a little heavy. _Like father, like daughter_, she thought to herself. She gave a sad smile. She couldn't help that she still missed her husband. She listened closely, knowing there had to be a reason behind the song she picked.

_Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you?_

_Why can't I speak whenever I talk about you?_

Mrs. Haruno knew that song. She knew the words by heart. If Sakura was singing that…

She cut her playing off when she knocked on the door. She heard the guitar squeak; Sakura must have been startled. "I'm coming in, honey."

She opened the door and slowly walked in to sit next to Sakura on her bed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Sakura stared at her, faking innocence, but her mother knew better. "You're like your father. He used music to express his feelings. Judging by your song choice, I'd say you're confused about something. A boy, maybe?" She winked, but not in a mocking way.

Sakura looked down. Her mom always had a way of reading her. "Yeah. There's this guy… he never pays attention to anyone, but out of nowhere he started being nice to me. The worst part is… I think I like having him around."

Mrs. Haruno smiled. "Now, why is that a bad thing? You're allowed to feel happy, you know."

Sakura stared at her feet as her mom kept talking. "If your father were here, he'd probably say something like, 'You can't like boys! You're still a baby!'"

It was an attempt to lighten the mood. Sakura did snicker a little. Mrs. Haruno put an arm around her.

"I know it's confusing now. But just wait. When the time comes, you'll just… know."

Sakura looked up at her. "Is that what happened to you?"

She smiled. "Something like that. Your father had a reputation as a troublemaker, so people usually stayed away from him. But the moment I heard him sing as he played his guitar… I think I knew that he was more than that."

Sakura thought back to what she had said to Ino. _'He's not as cold as everyone says he is.'_

Mrs. Haruno kept reminiscing. "I got to know him better. We spent more time after class. Then one day, he sang a song just for me. At that moment, I felt like I never wanted him to leave my side."

A tear appeared on her cheek. Sakura pulled her into a hug.

"I miss him, too."

They stayed like that for a little while, until her mom broke the embrace.

"Well, enough of that. He wouldn't want us wallowing like this. Let's go downstairs. I picked up a treat on the way home."

At the thought of a treat, Sakura jumped off the bed and dashed down the stairs, leaving her mother smiling and shaking her head. _I can't believe our baby's grown so much, yet she's still such a child at heart._ She looked at a family photo from when Sakura was much younger. She looked at her husband, beaming while his daughter sat on his lap. _She's just like you._

* * *

Elsewhere, Karin looked at the group of girls before her, all in tears as if the world was about to end. Which, it kind of was. Sasuke Uchiha had been spotted hanging out with a reject, when he could've been spending time with one of them. Karin scoffed. _As if any of these girls have a chance with my Sasuke, but I can still put them to use._

"Cut it out! Now's not the time for tears! I have a plan that'll put Haruno back in her place. When we're done, she won't show her face in the light of day again!" She pulled out a notebook, opening it to her written plan.

"So here's what we need to do…"

* * *

_**Remember, I do NOT own Naruto!**_

_**Song: Why Can't I? by Liz Phair**_


	7. Fallin For You(You'll Be In My Heart)

Hiding around the corner, two high school girls continued to tail their target: Sakura Haruno, the pink-haired freak. How did she ever manage to capture the attention of _the_ Sasuke Uchiha? They weren't too sure; what they did know was that she needed to be put back in her place.

They watched as she took a guitar into the music room. At that moment, they figured they should report back to their leader. One of them grabbed her phone and dialed the number.

"_What? Find anything?"_

"We've been following Haruno all morning. She seriously has no life, so it's not like we can take anything away from her that way…"

The voice on the other side giggled maniacally, if that was even possible.

"_Oh, there's always something. Any little thing can cause enough damage."_

"Well, she did just walk into the music room with a guitar…"

"… … _Bingo_."

The girl grinned, hung up, and ran off with the other girl scrambling behind her.

* * *

Meanwhile, near the music room…

_I'm trying not to tell you_

_But I want to; I'm scared of what'll you say_

_So I'm hiding what I'm feeling_

_But I'm tired of holding it inside my head._

_I've been spending all my time just thinking 'bout you_

_I don't know what to do; I think I'm falling for you._

_I've been waiting all my life and now I found you._

_I don't know what to do, I think I'm falling for you._

_Hn. She seems happier today. _Sasuke had come across the singing again. Yet, he couldn't take a peek inside even if he wanted to. He leaned against the wall outside, closing his eyes as he listened to the calming music.

* * *

The girls met up with the leader at the designated spot. "So? What's the plan?"

Karin turned to them, smirking deviously. "Isn't it obvious?"

The girls looked at each other. One of them shrugged. Karin sighed and rolled her eyes. She had sent them to spy on the girl, searching for some sort of weakness. She wanted to hit her where it hurts, and hit her hard. Now, she was pretty sure she found what she was looking for.

"Look, you said you saw her go in the music room. There isn't any class that early, so it has to be for herself. Which probably means she plays often for personal reasons. Get it yet?"

The girls still looked clueless. Karin started to wonder where she found these lackeys in the first place.

* * *

Sakura sat at her desk, staring out the window. She just couldn't focus today. Everything her mom had said yesterday kept replaying in her mind. The way her mom had met her dad was somehow similar to her relationship with Sasuke. _Wait a minute! What relationship?_

Sakura knew she had to stop thinking like that. If she were to fall for someone like him, she was bound to be hurt in the end.

She dared a glance at Sasuke. He was sitting on the other side of the room with Naruto's desk right next to him. Obviously, the blonde was trying to get his attention, but the stoic teen kept ignoring him. Sakura caught herself smiling. _What the heck is wrong with me? I feel like some sort of creep!_

By the end of class, Sakura needed to relieve some stress. Those thoughts were driving her insane. She decided to use free period to play her guitar. She had already played that morning, but it wouldn't hurt to play again, right? She resisted the urge to sprint to the music room. When she arrived, she opened the door…and froze on the spot.

There, in the middle of the room, was her guitar. At least, what was left of it. She wasn't sure how the culprit did it, but it was shattered to pieces. Her heart was the same.

She fell to her knees in front of the mess, trying to control her breathing. A panic attack was definitely coming! She didn't respond when she heard the door fly open.

"S-Sakura! What's wrong?" Hinata burst and bent down next to her. Ino quick sent a text to Tenten and followed her.

As Hinata tried to calm Sakura down, Ino looked at the mess before them. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a note. She picked it up.

"_Just figured we'd put it out of its misery. This is what you get."_

Ino didn't have to be a detective to know who was behind this. Only one person would take the time to hurt Sakura like this.

She growled. "I'm going to kill that bitch."

* * *

Naruto chased after Sasuke. "TEME! GET BACK HERE!"

Sasuke turned to him as the idiot stopped and panted in front of him. He rolled his eyes.

Naruto's head finally shot up. "I think I found some songs to use for the show, but Lazy-ass said I had to run them by you first."

"I told you I don't care."

"Well, you're singing, so you might as well pick one." He handed Sasuke a small piece of paper. "I wrote them down."

Sasuke looked at the list. He didn't recognize half of these. _He did say he wanted something new…_

He looked back at that loser, ready to shove the list back in his face… but that damn hopeful expression told him he wouldn't leave until Sasuke picked one.

"Hn. Annoying."

"Thanks, teme!" He gave him a goofy wave and ran off to who knows where.

Sasuke sighed. He figured he should go to the music room and try some of these songs out. He had his computer in his bag, so he could just look them up.

On his way there, some girl with dark hair in buns ran past him in the same direction. He thought he recognized her, but he wasn't sure from where. For some reason, he kept going with a quickened pace.

* * *

Tenten arrived to see a shattered guitar and her friends trying to comfort the owner. Her eyes softened. She knew all about that guitar. She joined the others and pulled Sakura into a hug.

"Just let it out. I know what it meant to you."

Tenten's heart constricted at the sound of Sakura's sobs. "That was my one way out… my one way to keep him close…"

She held her closer. "I know, Sak."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" She broke away from Tenten.

Hinata put a hand on her shoulder. "This isn't just about the guitar, is it? This is about your father."

Sakura gasped and looked at her. She had been dead on.

Ino looked at Sakura. "That's right. Didn't he give that to you?"

She nodded. Her breathing was slowing down, as though the thought of her father calmed her a little. She thought back to that day.

"_Happy B-day, Sak! I got this just for you! Now you can play what you want when you want."_

She could see her dad beaming as she had thanked him repeatedly.

"Music was his world. He wanted to share that world with me. But now…"

The three girls didn't know what to do. They couldn't just say everything would be fine. The instrument was destroyed, and they had no proof Karin had done it. The best thing they could do was hold Sakura in a group hug as she cried her eyes out.

* * *

Sasuke stood there frozen, though he remained undetected. He followed that girl here…only to come across this. Sakura was in pain again. Wasn't she smiling and laughing just the other day? That's when he noticed the shattered guitar. She had told him she played, but he had no idea it was that important to her. Though, if he found his guitar like this, there'd be bloodshed for sure.

He stood there silently, feeling like he should do something, but decided against it.

Sakura kept trying to tell her friends she was okay, but they wouldn't believe her. The girl with the buns (was she Tenten, that girl Neji mentioned?) insisted on taking her to work, though Sakura told her she wanted to walk. Yamanaka made her swear to call her when her shift was over. Hinata wasn't as forward as the other two, but Sasuke could tell she was concerned.

* * *

After Sakura and Tenten left, Hinata went back to the halls to get her stuff from her locker. She was so out of it, she had forgotten her things. Even as she walked, her mind was so busy worrying about Sakura that she was barely paying attention to her surroundings. Which is why she walked right into someone.

"S-sorry! That w-was my fault!" She looked up to see Sasuke Uchiha and his usual look of disinterest. He didn't answer, but he kept looking at her. Hinata was definitely feeling uncomfortable under his gaze. She was about to excuse herself, when he spoke up.

"Hinata, can I ask you something?"

She blinked. "Eh?"

* * *

They sat at a table in the commons. Hinata nodded in understanding.

"I see. So you saw that…"

Sasuke nodded as well. "What I want to know is why she was so broken up about it. It's a guitar."

Hinata shook her head. "To Sakura, it's not just a guitar; it's a connection. It was a gift from her father on her birthday, the last one before…"

She trailed off, not sure if it was her place to talk about this. It was Sakura's business.

"Before what?"

"… … before he died in an accident."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, but not enough for anyone to notice. _So she lost her father?_

He waited for Hinata to continue, but she shook her head.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be talking about this. It's not right."

Although he wanted to learn more, his logic understood her reasons.

"Hn. It's fine." He grabbed his bag and got up. Hinata quickly looked at him with pleading eyes.

"P-please don't tell anyone. She doesn't like to talk about it."

Sasuke just looked at her, and she could tell he was silently agreeing. She smiled. "Thank you."

"Hn."

* * *

Sakura couldn't believe this was happening. It couldn't be true. How could Karin stoop so low?

Apparently, Ino and Tenten had taken matters into their own hands. They confronted Karin, trying to make her confess. But that red-haired devil just smirked at them. _"I don't know what you're talking about. How do you know it was me? Can you even prove it?"_ When they didn't reply, she laughed. _"That's what I thought."_ She flipped her hair and walked away. Tenten wanted nothing more than to wipe that triumphant grin off her face.

But Karin was right; they had no proof. If they could only take the issue to Lady Tsunade, maybe Sakura's guitar could be replaced. But without evidence, she wouldn't be able to help even if she believed them.

Sakura wasn't sure what she'd do without her guitar. Music was her way to escape from drama, and it helped her stay connected to her dad. She sat on her bed and picked up a picture from her nightstand. It was her dad playing guitar, and she was singing next to him. She thought about how many times they'd go to the music room together. There was one time she was positive she'd never forget.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_A little girl walked home with tears in her eyes. When she entered the house, she ran quickly to her room to cry her eyes out. A man with messy brown hair and piercing green eyes noticed his daughter's behavior. He walked up the stairs to her room._

_He gently knocked on the door. "Sak. It's Dad. Tell me what's wrong, kiddo."_

"_Leave me alone!" she hollered from the other side._

_Ignoring her, he opened the door and walked on in. "Now, why would I do that? My baby's upset, and I'm going to help her."_

_The girl, sprawled on her bed facedown, slowly raised her head and watched him from the corner of her eye. He sat on the side of the bed and smiled at her. "Come on, Sak. You can tell me anything."_

_Sakura looked away at first. Then, she lifted herself up to a sitting position. She wouldn't look him in the eyes. "You're gonna think it's stupid."_

"_What? Coming from you? Never!" He put an arm around her, but she still avoided his eyes._

"_Your feelings aren't stupid, Sak. They're the most important thing in the world."_

"… _tell that to the girls at school."_

_The man's eyes narrowed a bit. He had a feeling he knew where this was going._

"_They pick on me all the time, Dad. It's because I'm not pretty. They make fun of my hair, my eyes, and especially my forehead."_

"_Then they must be blind! Your hair and eyes are beautiful, and that forehead's fine the way it is!"_

"_Daaad, it's HUGE!"_

"_Then there's more room to kiss it." He gave her a peck on her forehead. Her tear-stained eyes widened in shock._

_She turned away from him. "You have to say that. You're my dad."_

_He looked at her for a minute. He stood up abruptly and held out his hand. "Let's go."_

_Sakura stared at the hand, then at her dad. He was beaming; he really wanted to show her something. Curious, she grabbed his hand, and he led her out the door, down the hall, and into his music room._

"_Dad, what are we doing?"_

_He walked over to the end of the room. "Remember how I said feelings are important?"_

"_Well, yeah…" She didn't know where he was going with this._

_He smiled at he pulled the guitar strap over his shoulder. "This is how I express my feelings."_

_He motioned for her to sit down, and he started to strum the chords._

**_Come stop your crying; it'll be all right._**

**_Just take my hand, hold it tight._**

**_I will protect you from all around you._**

**_I will be here, don't you cry._**

_Sakura's heart began to beat faster. She could tell he was singing about her. He looked into her eyes as he sang._

**_For one so small, you seem so strong._**

**_My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm._**

**_This bond between us can't be broken._**

**_I will be here, don't you cry._**

**_You'll be in my heart; yes, you'll be in my heart_**

**_From this day on; now and forever more._**

**_You'll be in my heart no matter what they say._**

**_You'll be here in my heart. Always._**

_Sakura couldn't help but smile. She was filled with so much warmth._

**_Don't listen to them, 'cause what do they know?_**

**_We need each other to have two wholes._**

**_They'll see in time. I know._**

**_When destiny calls you, you must be strong._**

**_I may not be with you, but you've got to hold on._**

**_They'll see in time. I know._**

**_We'll show them together 'cause_**

_**End of Flashback**_

_You'll be in my heart; believe me, you'll be in my heart._

_From this day on; now and forever more._

_You'll be in my heart no matter what they say._

_You'll be in my heart. Always. Always._

Sakura sighed as she stopped singing. The tears had already formed. She couldn't help it. She thought of the lyrics again.

_When destiny calls you, you must be strong. I may not be with you, but you've got to hold on. _

Her heart desperately clung to those words. She could get through this. She didn't need a guitar to keep him close; he was always in her heart. But still…

A teardrop landed on the picture. _I love you, Daddy._

* * *

**_I just have to say... I really wanted to cry when I wrote that flashback. It's just such a touching song! :')_**

**_Music: "Fallin' For You" by Colbie Caillat and "You'll Be In My Heart" by Phil Collins_**


	8. Realize

A couple of days had passed since her guitar was destroyed. Mrs. Haruno came to pick her up from work. Sakura looked completely exhausted, both physically and emotionally. She sighed.

_This is just awful. How could someone do that?_ She tightened her grip on her steering wheel at the thought of someone going out of her way to hurt her daughter.

Sakura didn't say a thing. She just stared out the window without a word. However, she didn't notice her mother smiling, like she knew something. _Oh, well. At least this depression will be over soon._

When they got home, Sakura was ready to fling herself on her bed and stay there. She didn't notice her mom calling out to her; she just dragged herself up the stairs to her room…

And what she saw almost made her heart stop. Was she in the right room? Sitting neatly on her bed was an acoustic guitar, the exact same one she had been looking at in the shop! _But that was so expensive! How…_

She was so shocked she couldn't form words in her head! Her mom stood in her doorway.

"Someone delivered this for you. I don't know who. The package didn't have a name…"

Sakura just stood frozen. Mrs. Haruno was behind her, so she couldn't see her expression. She sighed. "I know it's not the one your father gave you, but…"

She cut herself off as Sakura slowly reached out to it, as though she had to test to be sure it was real. It was.

Filled with pure joy, she flung herself on her mother. "I LOVE IT!"

Surprised at first by the sudden embrace, Mrs. Haruno almost tumbled backwards! She caught herself, and she slowly wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"I know. It's like a miracle, isn't it? Any clue who could've done this?"

Sakura froze. She slowly pulled away from her mother as she tried to wrap her mind around it.

"… Honestly, I have no idea."

* * *

"So, it wasn't you?"

Ino shrugged. "Nope. Sorry, hun. I'm not made of money, you know."

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Yet you could easily replace your wardrobe on a daily basis…"

Ino spluttered, "That's not true!"

Sakura turned to Hinata. "Any ideas?"

The girl simply shook her head. "None."

* * *

Sakura sat alone on the roof of the school building. It was free period, and she needed some air. Besides, it was a good chance to think over what happened.

Sakura couldn't tell Lady Tsunade about her guitar; she had no proof to connect anyone to it. But still, someone randomly delivered a new guitar to her doorstep…

_And it was the one I wanted… Was it a lucky coincidence? Because I never told anyone…_

"For someone who's tired of being alone, you really like your privacy."

Sakura turned to the side to see Sasuke standing there. She didn't know whether he was sweet or creepy… She went with creepy.

She glared at him. "Is stalking me like a hobby of yours now?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I wanted to talk to you."

Now there's a surprise. Sasuke never sought out _anyone_. People always came to him.

"Okay… what about?"

He sat down next to her. "I saw you in the music room a while ago."

Sakura paled. _Oh, no, don't tell me he saw…_

Sasuke kept going. "You were freaking out over a broken guitar. I… heard that it meant a lot to you."

_So he didn't hear me sing. _Though part of her was relieved, Sakura looked down and pulled her knees to her chest.

"…Yeah. It was from my dad. He was a musician at heart. He was never famous or anything, but to me, he was a superstar. He played his guitar all the time, and when he wasn't playing guitar, he was riding his motorcycle."

Sasuke stared at her. _That explains her reaction to my bike_

"He bought me that guitar so I could play, too. I was so excited! I couldn't stop thanking him. I wanted to be as good as him, so I practiced all the time. But then…"

She trailed off. Sasuke's eyes softened. "The accident."

Sakura gasped. _How did he know about it?_ She pulled her legs a little closer, burying the bottom half of her head. "Yeah."

They sat there in awkward silence, both not sure what to say. Sakura knew she had been rambling, but she wasn't sure what else to do; she couldn't stand it. She was about to open her mouth again, but Sasuke beat her to it.

"I know what it's like… to lose a parent. Actually, I lost both…"

Startled, Sakura's head shot up and turned to him. She had no idea! She recalled Sasuke's reaction when she mentioned his parents. _So that's it._

Her heart constricted a little; so they both understood pain. She knew it was hard for him to tell her that much; heck, she was surprised he said anything at all. She worked up an understanding smile.

"You don't have to go into details. But, thanks. For comforting me, I mean."

"Hn."

"And Sasuke?"

He looked at her from the corner of his eye.

"Thanks for the guitar."

No normal person would notice his sharp intake of breath, but Sakura caught it. She put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll pay you back. It might take a while, but I promise I will."

"Forget it." He gently reached for her hand and brushed it off of him.

Sasuke wasn't about to let her double her workload over this. Besides, he wasn't short on money: he's an Uchiha. It was at a discount, anyway. The owner was an old friend of the family, so she had been willing to cut him a deal.

"_This isn't really your style, Sasuke. A gift, I presume?"_

_Sasuke remained silent as she continued. "The design is more suitable for a female." She gave the boy a knowing look._

_Sasuke looked away. "Hn. It's for a friend." _

Sasuke was brought from his thoughts when Sakura countered. She had shifted and was in his face now. She almost looked angry.

"There's no way I can forget something like this! You have no idea how much this means to me! You've done so much for me already, and I can't stand being in debt! Just let me make it up to you!"

Sasuke observed her. She was serious and stubborn; she wouldn't back down. He sighed. "Fine. I'll think of something."

Sakura relaxed, leaned back a little, and smiled. "Thank you."

As she watched Sasuke try to ignore her, it was like a piece had fallen in to place. Ino was right; Mom was right. She did like Sasuke Uchiha.

* * *

At the end of the day, Sasuke walked down the hall with the list Naruto had given him. He didn't really like any of these songs, but that dobe insisted that he picked one. He sighed; he just couldn't win today.

Then something occurred to him. _If I can find that mystery singer, then we don't have to use a new song. We'll just have a guest singer. Maybe that would finally satisfy him. _

The problem was he didn't know how to find her. She always made sure no one could see her, though he didn't understand why. She was talented; why was she trying so hard to hide it?

He needed someone who knew just about everyone. Maybe not personally, but knows enough about people from observing at the very least. But who could he turn to?

He thought back to Sakura. She wasn't exactly the most popular girl in school; actually, some thought she was the exact opposite. But she's friends with Yamanaka, a gossip girl if he ever saw one. Plus, she's a musician herself, so maybe she knows other people who play. The question was how to convince her to help him. As he tried to come up with a reason, something clicked in his mind.

_Sakura wants to pay me back somehow, and I haven't thought of anything else I really want from her… So I can just tell her to repay me with information._

It was the perfect plan. Now all he had to do was find her.

* * *

Ino was trying her best not to sprint out of her final class. Her art teacher had assigned a group project, and her partner was none other than her crush. They had agreed to meet in the commons after school. Mentally, she was squealing.

On her way, she noticed Sakura carrying her guitar case. "Sakura, where're you headed?"

Sakura stopped, looked at her case, then back at Ino with a raised brow. "Isn't it obvious? I want to try this thing out."

"Random question: if you were so beat up over your old guitar, why are you fine with this one?"

Sakura sighed. "I was more upset about not being able to play anymore. That was a beginner guitar; I was looking for a nicer one anyway."

Ino nodded, but Sakura could tell by her expression that she was excited about something. She looked like she wanted to jump up and down, squealing like a schoolgirl.

She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "And where are you off to?"

Ino blushed. "Oh, I'm just meeting someone for homework. As a matter of fact, I'm supposed to be there already. Have fun with the new toy!"

She dashed off as Sakura hollered, "It's NOT a toy!"

* * *

When Ino got close enough to the commons, she stopped to quickly check her appearance. She had to look perfect for him, after all! She composed herself and walked over to Sai with a fabulous air around her.

Too bad he wasn't paying attention. He was busy sketching in his book again. Ino sighed. Her looks had no affect on him; this was a first for her.

"Ummm… Sai?"

He glanced up with his dark eyes. Ino thought they looked so intense compared to his pale skin. "Oh. Hello, Ino."

She sat down next to him. "So? How do you want to do this?"

Sai held his chin as he thought. Ino swooned at his seriousness. _He's so deep in thought it's almost dreamy!_

Sai didn't notice. "Well, the project is for each of us to do a portrait of our partner. I think the first thing to do is pick a location, then how we want to portray the model. Like what pose to use or emotion they show."

Ino quickly nodded her head, though she wasn't sure she understood. She'd just do whatever Sai said.

Sai looked at her, trying to decide how to portray her. Ino was trying with all her might not to blush. Why were his eyes always so intense? Can't he relax a little?

Sai smiled when he thought of his plan. "Well, happiness fits you best. That's for sure… And being outside may give your long hair more flow… Yes, I think you'd look beautiful."

Sai probably didn't realize what he was saying, but Ino could feel her face getting hotter. This time, Sai noticed.

"Umm… Ino, are you feeling alright?"

"Huh? Oh! Y-yeah! No problem! I'm good!"

Sai wasn't sure about that; her facial expression didn't match what she was saying. He was about to speak, but he saw the Uchiha approach them. _What could he want?_

But Sasuke wasn't there for Sai. "Yamanaka."

Ino turned around with a confused look. There was still a little bit of blush. Sasuke rolled his eyes. (If only he had known the blush wasn't for him.)

"Y-yes?" she squeaked.

"Do you know where Haruno is?"

"Huh? Oh, I think she's still in the music room. She's trying out that new guitar some mystery person gave her."

_So she hasn't told anyone?_ Sasuke had predicted that she'd at least tell her friends about it.

He brushed off the thought as he nodded and walked away. Ino turned back to Sai. "So, where were we?"

Sai blinked. "Ino… who's Haruno?"

"Hm? Oh, she's a close friend of mine."

"Oh, then you know what he wanted with her?"

Ino thought for a second. "Umm… no, not really."

"Then, was it really a good idea to send him after her?"

Now Ino blinked. She tried to connect what had just happened. She hadn't been sure what she was doing because she was around Sai.

She sent Sasuke after Sakura? While she was in the music room? Ino's eyes widened in horror as she realized what she had just done. "Crap! I'm so dead!"

She quickly got up from her seat. "I'll be right back, Sai! Don't go anywhere!"

She hurried to the music room, hoping she wasn't too late. Sai was a bit bewildered. This girl was so energetic, and she was loyal to her friends. You wouldn't think that by looking at her. Slowly, he began to smile.

* * *

Sakura stared at her guitar. She was almost afraid to play it. But, the thought of Sasuke giving this to her gave her this strange feeling. She was pretty sure she knew what it was. _But there's no way I can tell him._

She thought of something her dad used to say.

"_Music is a magical thing, Sak. It has the power to bring people together. They can share pain, happiness, and even love. I mean, if it weren't for music, I don't think we'd be here right now!"_

She hadn't known what he meant at the time, but now she knows he was talking about Mom. _Music had brought them together_.

She looked down on her guitar. She strummed the first chord; the sound was gorgeous! This was definitely nicer than her beginner guitar! After that, she couldn't help it. She kept going, oblivious to her surroundings. She just focused on the music.

_Take time to realize that your warmth is_

_Crashing down on in_

_Take time to realize that I am on your side_

_Didn't I? Didn't I tell you?_

_But I can't spell it out for you_

_You know it's never gonna be that simple_

_No, I can't spell it out for you._

_If you'd just realize what I just realized, _

_Then we'd be perfect for each other and we'd never find another_

_Just realize what I just realized,_

_we'd never have to wonder if we missed out on each other, now._

If only she would realize that she left the door wide open.

* * *

_**I hope I did alright with the SaiIno moment. Even before it was official, I pictured them together, though I have trouble writing about Sai for some odd reason.**_

_**Music: Realize by Colbie Caillat (there's nothing wrong with using the same singer twice!)**_


	9. Time After Time

Ino dashed down the hall like a mad woman. There was no way she made such an idiotic mistake! She knew what Sakura was doing in the music room, and she knew that she wanted privacy. Yet she sent Uchiha directly to her!

_Geez, I'm such an idiot! Please let me make it in time!_

She kept running until she reached the music room. To her surprise, she found Sakura calmly putting her guitar away. The stoic teen was nowhere to be seen. She frowned.

Sakura jumped a little when she noticed Ino in the doorway. "I-Ino! Sorry, I didn't notice you. What's up? I though you were with Sai."

Ino kept looking around the room. "I…was…" She finally looked at Sakura. "Did Sasuke come by?"

Sakura tilted her head. "No… why?"

Ino gaped at her. _Wasn't he looking for her? There's no way I beat him here with that head start! But if he's not here, then…_

* * *

Sasuke wandered the halls; he had to organize his thoughts. He went to the music room to ask Sakura to investigate for him… only to realize Sakura was the mystery singer! Even though it made sense, Sasuke couldn't really grasp it. He knew she could play, but she never mentioned that she sang!

When he had reached the room, he heard someone singing. He was surprised to find the door open. This was his chance! He snuck to the door undetected, and his body froze on the spot when he saw her.

Her back was to the door, so she didn't see him. It didn't matter, though, since she was too far-gone. The way she could get lost in her music… Sasuke couldn't even find the words to explain that sensation. When he felt a presence heading straight for them, he decided to slip away before anyone would notice.

Sasuke ran his hand through his hair. He just couldn't understand it! Why did it irk him that she would hide this? He never asked about it, so there was no need to bring it up. Besides, boasting seemed outside of her personality. So, why? Why was he angry at the fact that she felt she had to hide from the world?

He didn't want her to feel alone. Maybe that's why he often found himself worrying about her. He wanted her to feel like she matters, even though she's afraid to leave her comfort-zone.

_But why? Why do I care so much?_

He was confused beyond belief. He had no idea how to feel or how to react. What he did know was that he had to approach her. The question was…how?

* * *

The next day, when Sakura opened her locker, something fell to the ground. When she looked closer, it was a note addressed to her. _Now that's weird_. She opened it.

"_Meet me in the auditorium after school. –Sasuke"_

Sakura's brow furrowed as she tried to think, desperately hiding the blush that wanted to emerge.

_I wonder what he wants._

Suddenly Tenten was looking over her shoulder. "Hey, what's that?"

Sakura whirled around, trying to hide the note behind her back. "N-nothing! It's nothing!"

Tenten smirked. "Doesn't look like nothing."

Sakura was so flustered she didn't notice Ino and Hinata show up. Ino quickly grabbed the note while Sakura had her attention on Tenten. Ino looked over the note.

"OMG, Sasuke wants to meet you?!"

Hinata and Tenten gasped.

"R-really?" Hinata grabbed the note from Ino to confirm it. Her eyes widened. "Oh, my…"

"Let me see!" Tenten reached for the note, but Sakura quickly grabbed it.

"You guuuys! Cut it out! It's probably a trick, and you know it!"

Hinata shook her head. "Sakura, that is Sasuke's handwriting. I'm sure of it."

"It…what?" _So it's really from him?_

Ino nudged Sakura with her elbow. "Sooo… are you going to go?"

All she could so was stare at the note. Part of her wanted to go, truly believing it was him, but there was another feeling that this could be another one of Karin's pranks.

Tenten rolled her eyes. "Sak, it's not that hard. Just go. If it's a prank, we can always teach her a lesson later."

Sakura smiled. She knew that was true. She nodded. "Alright. I guess I'll go."

Ino squealed so hard, the other girls had to cover their ears.

* * *

Naruto stalked the halls, whipping his head around; he was trying to find that teme! He still had to pick a song, and the pressure was just too much! He muttered under his breath, "Where the heck is he?"

Naruto didn't notice that his pace had quickened; he was walking quickly and forcefully. Maybe it was anger; maybe it was frustration. Either way, whatever was distracting him kept him from watching where he was going. He started to turn the corner and… BOOM!

To say he was startled is an understatement. He didn't even have time to react; he fell backwards and landed on the floor! He sat up, rubbing his backside. "Ow… What the-"

He looked up and almost had a panic attack. There was Hinata, right in front of him! She was also on the ground, holding her head since it collided with his chest. Naruto jumped into action and quickly got up.

"H-Hinata! Are you okay? Aw, man, I'm so sorry! I didn't-"

Hinata shook her head and looked down, desperately trying to hide her rosy cheeks. "I-It's n-nothing, Naruto. I w-wasn't watching w-where I was going…"

The blonde blinked. Usually people yelled at him when he was a klutz. He scratched his head. "Yeah, well, I wasn't really watching either."

Naruto looked at Hinata; she was still on the ground, and she wasn't looking at him. It took him a minute to _finally_ notice her things scattered on the ground. He bent down to his knees.

"Ah! Here, let me help you!"

Hinata could swear her face was getting hotter. "Th-thank you." She started to pick up her things. When she reached for the last journal, Naruto's hand was already there, so she accidently touched him instead. Her head shot up to look at Naruto, whose eyes were huge! Even though she could look at those deep blue eyes for hours, she quickly removed her hand and turned away from him.

Naruto was a bit shocked. _Why is she acting like this?_ He smiled at her shyness. _She's really cute!_

He picked up the notebook and stood up. Then, he held out his hand to Hinata. She hesitantly accepted it, and he pulled her up.

"Hey, Hinata, can I ask you something?"

"Huh?" Hinata couldn't help but notice he hadn't let go of her hand.

"It's just… have you seen Sasuke anywhere?"

Hinata refused to let her disappointment show. "Ah, no, I haven't. But… I think…"

Naruto moved his hands to hold her shoulders. "What? What do you think?"

Trying not to faint, Hinata looked down to the side. "Umm… Sakura found a note. It said it was from him, and he wanted to meet her after school…"

Naruto froze. _Sakura? Is she that girl with the pink hair? So he __**did**__ have a thing for her!_

Hinata was feeling pretty uncomfortable. _Why won't he let go? Why's he looking at me like that? I don't think I can take much more! _"N-Naruto?"

At that moment, Naruto seemed to snap out of it. "Hinata! Take me there! There's no way I'm gonna miss this!"

* * *

Sakura hesitantly poked her head into the auditorium. Nothing seemed suspicious yet. She looked at the stage; band instruments were set up. _This must be where the "Will of Fire" practices._

She slowly walked toward the stage. She kept looking for signs of a prank or red hair. So far, there was none.

Sasuke observed her from the stage. He raised an eyebrow at her behavior. She hadn't even noticed him. He sighed. "Sakura."

She whirled around and gaped. Obviously, she couldn't believe it. The real Sasuke was actually standing in front of her. _So it really was from him? _

Sasuke looked down on her as he stood on the stage. He shifted his head, signaling her to join him up there.

As she climbed up, Sasuke was still trying to find the right words to say. _Where the hell do I start?_

Sakura walked up to him. "So… what did you want to talk about? And why here?"

"Hn."

Sakura raised a brow. "Sasuke, you know that when you call someone over to talk, you kind of need to have something to say. In actual words?"

Sasuke glared at her, but it wasn't as intense as the usual. He looked away.

"I… I saw you in the music room yesterday. You… left the door open…"

Sakura's entire face turned red in an instant. "S-so…y-you…"

"I heard you singing."

Sakura was speechless. She wasn't sure what could be more humiliating! Especially since she was singing about…

"Oh," she managed to squeak.

They stood there in awkward silence. Sakura wanted to run away more than anything, but she somehow couldn't do it. She looked at him; he was looking anywhere but her. She coughed a little.

"Well, if that's the problem, i-it's nothing. I like to sing by myself. That's all. I just don't want anyone else to know, so… please don't tell anyone, okay?"

_Don't tell anyone?_ The thought somehow made his cool composure weaken. _She shouldn't hide it from the world! There's no point!_

He lifted his gaze to look her in the eye. "Why are you being such a coward?"

A vein popped on Sakura's head as she snarled, "Come again?"

Realizing his mistake, he tried to rephrase that. "I mean, when you hide from everyone, it's-"

Something snapped within Sakura. "You have no right! You have no idea what it's like for me! You barely know anything about me! I'm in no way being a coward! I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He wasn't expecting her to retort like that. He grunted. "Hn. Annoying. You're such a…"

Sakura turned away. "Look, if all you're going to do is mock me, then-"

"No! Wait, that's…that's not what I meant." Sasuke started rubbing his neck. He hated this! He just couldn't find the right words to say. That's when he remembered his guitar.

_If she can do it, then so can I._

Sakura was beyond confused when Sasuke grabbed his guitar and sat on the floor. He looked up at her, and she figured he wanted her to sit. Sighing, she complied.

Sasuke gazed directly at her. "Just listen for a second." Slowly, she nodded.

Sasuke looked down to his guitar and started to play.

_Lying in my bed, I hear the clock tick and think of you_

_Caught up in circles, confusion is nothing new_

_You say, "Go slow", I fall behind_

_The second hand unwinds_

_If you're lost, you can look and you will find me_

_Time after time_

_If you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting_

_Time after time, time after time, time after time_

Sakura's heart started pounding. It was like Sasuke's thoughts were reaching out to her.

"_**I worry about you all the time. I'm not going to let you feel alone anymore. I'm here for you."**_

_Sometimes you picture me, I'm walking too far ahead_

_You're calling to me, I can't hear what you've said_

_You say, "Go slow", I fall behind_

_The second hand unwinds_

_If you're lost, you can look and you will find me_

_Time after time_

_If you fall I will catch you, I'll be waiting_

_Time after time, time after time, time after time_

Sakura stared at the ground. Tears were streaming from her eyes. This was almost too much to bear. Sasuke stopped playing, thinking he did something wrong. He quickly put down his guitar and moved closer. He was about to apologize, when Sakura suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thank you," she whispered.

It took a second for Sasuke to register what was going on. Usually, he'd avoid this kind of contact, but it was never like that with Sakura. He found himself moving his own arms to return her embrace.

* * *

"Heh! I knew it!" Naruto whispered.

"Naruto, quiet! Don't let them hear you!"

"Whoops. Sorry, Hinata."

Naruto and Hinata had ventured to the auditorium and were comfortably hiding backstage. Hinata felt so happy for her friend! Naruto grinned. _'Bout time, Teme._

No one seemed to notice the shadowed figure standing by the door, absolutely disgusted.

"Now you really crossed the line, Reject!" she growled.

* * *

_**Review! You don't know how happy I get to read your comments! :) Thanks to those who already have!**_


	10. Two Is Better Than One

Naruto hadn't seen this coming; well, he sort of did, but he never thought he'd see that teme being so close to a girl like that. Hinata lightly tugged on his sleeve, signaling that they should give them some privacy. He was a bit disappointed, but he saw the gentle, pleading look in Hinata's eyes.

_I can't say no to that…_

Naruto dropped his shoulders but let her lead him away. _Man, I really wanted to see how this ends…_

* * *

Sasuke wasn't exactly sure what he was doing. He just sat there with Sakura in his arms. He could feel his shirt getting damp from her tears, but he didn't mind. He somehow…liked this. He _wanted_ to-

_What the hell am I doing?!_

This wasn't his objective. He still had something to ask her.

That's when Sasuke noticed Sakura shifting. She slowly pulled away from him and sat up. She wiped the tears off of her flushed face.

"S-Sorry about that. You probably think I'm crazy now…" She forced a smile. She didn't want him to see her as an emotional wreck.

Sasuke observed her. Her shaking had died down, and her sobs had silenced. He figured she was calm now, so he coughed a little to get her attention.

"Um… Sakura… that's not the only reason I wanted to talk."

The girl looked up at him with curious eyes. "Oh…so…. What else is there?"

Sasuke looked away. He felt awkward again, but this was his objective. He had to do it. There was no turning back now! He turned to her. "I want you to sing at the festival."

Sakura stared at him. Sasuke sweat-dropped; he had a feeling he knew what was coming.

_Three… two…. one…_

"WHAAAAT?!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs. "How can you even ask me something like that?! You just accused me of hiding! So your solution is to throw me into a spotlight?! Are you insane?"

"Hn."

"Sasuke! Give me a clear answer!"

The Uchiha was well aware of her stubbornness, and if he didn't give what she wanted, they wouldn't get anywhere. He decided that this time, just this once, he could play nice.

"Naruto's insisting on something new for the band."

"And what does that have to do with me?"

"The songs he picked are crap."

Sakura sweat-dropped. _That… I can believe._

Sasuke continued. "I actually heard you singing a while ago; I just didn't know it was you. You have talent. You might as well show it."

Sakura gaped as a hint of blush burned her cheeks. "Wh- What… did you just say?"

Sasuke glared. "I'm not going to repeat myself." One compliment was more than enough for one day.

Sakura continued to stare blankly. Sasuke was waiting for another outburst, but instead, she slowly started to grin. "Oh, really? Because I do believe _the_ Uchiha just gave me a compliment! What was it? You think I'm _talented_!"

"Sakura…"

"Did I hear you wrong? I think you need to say it again."

"Sakura!"

She couldn't help it; she laughed. This wasn't a cute little giggle, either; this was chest holding, belting out-loud laughter. She didn't know why she enjoyed teasing him so much, but it was fun!

Sasuke sighed. She could be so childish. Yet… he wanted to smile when he saw her like that. He quickly crushed that thought. He didn't want to think about feelings anymore.

He tried to get her attention back, "So, will you do it?"

Sakura immediately stopped laughing. Realization struck like a boulder. She looked down and frowned.

"I don't know, Sasuke. Th-there'll be a lot of people there, all wanting to see you. If they see me… who knows what they'll think…"

"Stage-fright, huh?"

Sakura looked at him, but then looked back down. "I guess that's part of it…"

Sasuke sighed. "Well, I guess there's no other way…"

Confused by what he meant, Sakura watched him as he grabbed his guitar again.

"We'll just have to practice."

* * *

Karin couldn't believe what she was seeing; the love of her life, her everything, was playing nice with that loser! She'd never seen him act that way before, and she's stalked—I mean, been with him since she first met him! She gritted her teeth. She couldn't take it anymore! She stormed away as she grabbed a notebook from her bag and scribbled a message.

_You're so gonna get it, Reject! You're gonna wish you never laid eyes on my Sasuke!_

* * *

"Practice? How'll that help?"

"You are on a stage right now."

"Yeah, but the problem is people, remember?"

Sasuke smirked. "Then just keep your eyes on me."

Sakura blushed as he started to play. "I'm assuming you'll know this one."

_I remember what you wore on the first day_

_You came into my life and I thought 'Hey, you know this could be something.'_

_Cause everything you do and words you say_

_You know that it all takes my breath away and now I'm left with nothing._

Sakura's cheeks burned darker. _Why would he choose this song?_

_So maybe it's true that I can't live without you_

_And maybe two is better than one_

_There's so much time to figure out the rest of our lives _

_And you thought that it got me coming undone_

_And I'm thinking two is better than one._

He nodded at Sakura. She took a deep breath.

_I remember every look upon your face_

Sasuke started again.

_The way you roll your eyes, the way you taste, _

_You make it hard for breathing._

Sakura smiled as she took over.

_And when I close my eyes and drift away._

_I think of you and everything's okay;_

_I'm finally now believing._

They sang the refrain together, harmonizing perfectly.

_That maybe it's true that I can't live without you_

_And maybe two is better than one_

_There's so much time to figure out the rest of our lives_

_And I'll figure out when all is said and done._

_Two is better than one…_

Sakura turned to Sasuke, and their eyes locked instantly.

_Two is better than one…_

Sasuke had stopped playing, but their eyes never parted. Suddenly. Sakura whipped her head around.

"I…I have to go."

Sasuke blinked as she dashed off the stage. He was about to say something when she stopped. She turned around and smiled. Sasuke's heart wouldn't behave as he realized it was genuine.

"I'm in. But only if you're there with me."

Sasuke smirked. "Deal."

Sakura smiled as she started walking away, only to be stopped by Sasuke as he grabbed her hand. "Wait a second."

She turned to him as he continued to hold her hand. _How'd he get down here so fast?_

Sasuke released her hand to grab something out of his pocket. He pulled out a small black box and handed it to her. Sakura was speechless. She opened the box to find a beautiful pendant; it was a silver heart with a treble clef cut out of the center.

"S-Sasuke…"

Sasuke looked away. "I saw it at the mall and thought you'd like it. Don't get the wrong idea."

Sakura smiled at his awkwardness. _Is kindness really that hard for him?_

She took out the necklace and was about to put it on when—

"Let me do that. You'll probably break it."

Slightly offended by his words, she decided to let him have his way this time and gave him the necklace. She turned around and held her hair out of the way (though it's so short not much of it could be a burden).

She suppressed a shiver as she felt the chain against her skin. Sasuke's cool fingers brushed against her neck as he latched the chain. She was surprised he could be that gentle.

She turned around and touched the pendant. She looked up to Sasuke. "I love it."

At that moment, the Uchiha let out a blush. _Damn! Not again! Why is it always her?_

* * *

Sakura smiled to herself as she walked down the hall. She kept fiddling with the necklace, silently vowing to never take it off.

"SAKURA!"

She froze. Ino practically jumped on her with excitement! "So? How'd it go? Give me all the details!"

Sakura sweat-dropped. "Uh…well…"

Tenten was with them, and she was sighing as she shook her head. Seriously, her friends were wierdos sometimes. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hinata slowly approaching.

"Hey, Hinata, where were you? You just disappeared on us."

She blushed, "S-sorry. I ran into …someone."

Tenten smirked. "Did that someone happen to have blonde hair and a loud mouth?"

Hinata's entire face turned red. "Uh…well… I think it's time to hear Sakura's story!" She felt ashamed moving the attention to Sakura, but she was desperate! _Sorry, Sakura._

Ino beamed. "That's right! We're going to hang out, and you're going to spill everything! And I mean _everything_!"

Sakura mentally groaned. _Of all the days to have off from work, why did it have to be today?_

Tenten turned around. "Sorry girls, but you'll have to count me out. I already have plans. Fill me in later, okay?"

Ino smirked at Tenten's back as the brunette walked away. "Okay! Have fun with Neji!"

The girls didn't miss Tenten freezing before she took off again. Ino shook her head. "She tries to act tough, but all girls, even tomboys, eventually fall for someone."

Sakura couldn't help what she said next. "That goes for blonde flirts, too. You never said how your project with Sai has been going."

Ino got flustered. "Nice try, Sakura, but today is about you! Now come on!"

Sakura frowned._ Dang it._

* * *

Neji was completely and utterly irritated. He had received a summons, though he had no idea who it was from. However, the message clearly stated that if he didn't comply, he could be putting his cousin at risk._ No one threatens Hinata and gets away with it!_

Now he was waiting in the hall; it was abandoned since classes had ended a while ago. He just wanted to get this over with; he had to see if Hinata was truly in jeopardy. If not, there would be hell to pay, no matter how much relief would flood him!

"Neji Hyuuga?"

Neji turned to see a redhead with glasses who obviously doesn't have any modesty as a lady. _I think I know this girl. Doesn't she cling to Uchiha? What does she want?_

"I guess your cousin is important to you, after all. Seeing as you never spend time with her during school hours."

This girl was asking for it; Neji's patience was rapidly growing thin. "That's strictly none of your concern. Now I demand that you tell me why you called me here!"

The girl looked at him with an "innocent" look. "I'm just worried about one of her friends. You're the only one I can turn to."

Neji raised an eyebrow. He didn't exactly trust her, but he was here anyway, so he might as well hear her out.

Karin continued. "One of Hinata's friends, Sakura Haruno, has been seen with Sasuke multiple times. Now, we all know that he's never paid any real attention to other girls, so I can only conclude he's using her. I mean, it's not like he'd ever have feelings for an outcast like her."

"Why should I believe you? You're one of Uchiha's fan girls; the leader, if I'm not mistaken."

"And that's how I know Sasuke's feelings. He obviously wants to get away from the fans, so he's pretending to be in a relationship. He knows he'll be left alone if he's with a girl."

"If that is the case, which I doubt, then why Haruno?"

"She's self-conscious. It's easy to manipulate someone like her. The poor girl has been fooled. You know this will only hurt her in the end."

Neji's brow furrowed as he processed her information. Sasuke did hate those fangirls; that was clear as day. And he didn't know the Uchiha as well as Uzumaki; when he thought about it, he had no idea what his intentions could be. But still, he had no reason to try to end it; it's not his business.

"What does that have to do with me?"

"I told you this also concerns your cousin. As Sakura's friend, seeing her in pain will cause her pain. Do you really see any justice in that? It's only a matter of time before she learns the truth. Remember that."

She turned and walked away, hiding her evil smirk. _That ought to do it._

Neji watched her leave, then turned in the opposite direction. _I should do something, but I can't go straight to Hinata or Haruno without knowing exactly what's going on. The best strategy is to investigate and question Uchiha._

"Neji! There you are." Tenten jogged up to him. "What're you doing? I thought we were going to hang out today."

Neji didn't seem to notice her; he kept staring into space. This really annoyed her.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"

Neji snapped out of it. "Sorry, Tenten."

"What's on your mind? It has to be important if it made you space out like that."

Neji shook his head. "It's nothing."

Tenten didn't believe it was nothing, but she knew he wasn't going to tell her anytime soon. She kept her true question in the back of her mind. _Why was Neji talking to Karin just now? He doesn't like that bitch, does he?_

* * *

_**I know, I know, that one was a little lovey-dovey, but it fits the song, right?**_

_**Two is Better Than One by Boys Like Girls (I used the duet featuring Taylor Swift)**_

_**Please Review :)**_


	11. My Happy Ending

Sakura opened her locker to switch books for her next class. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in her mirror; when she saw her pendant, she couldn't help but smile. She'd been so happy ever since Sasuke gave it to her!

When she told Ino and Hinata about it, they noticed she couldn't stop playing with it. Ino had squealed with delight, _"See?! I told you he has a thing for you!"_

Sakura pondered this as she closed her locker. She gently touched the pendant. _Does this mean that he…could actually…_

"Alone again, Haruno?"

She calmly turned around. "Oh. It's you, Karin."

Karin narrowed her eyes. She expected fear or misery, not this! "What the hell are you so happy about?" That's when she noticed the necklace. She snarled and pointed accusingly. "Where did you get that?!"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Why does it matter?"

Karin huffed. "Obviously, that's way too expensive for someone like you, so someone must have given it to you! Now tell me who!"

Sakura wasn't sure what to do. Her intelligence told her to keep her mouth shut; she shouldn't piss her off any more. But then, Inner spoke up.

**COME ON, GIRL! LET HER HAVE IT! TELL HER RIGHT NOW! I WANT TO SEE HER FACE WHEN SHE FINDS OUT HER PRECIOUS SASUKE-**

_Shut up! We don't want to cause trouble!_

"It's none of your business." Sakura walked past Karin.

"It was Sasuke, wasn't it?" Karin muttered.

Sakura stopped in her tracks. "So what if it was? He told me not to get the wrong idea. He's a friend."

Sakura was shocked when Karin started to giggle. "Oh, poor, naïve Sakura. You just don't get it, do you? That thing is your payment."

Now Sakura turned around. "My…what?"

Karin turned to her. "You heard me. That's his way of keeping you around. If he has a girl by his side, his fan girls will leave him alone."

Sakura couldn't believe her ears. She stood frozen as Karin continued. "It's sad really, He had to go and get your hopes up. I mean, come on, why would he bother with a waste of space like you? Come to think of it, showing compassion to the unfortunate is good for the image…"

"Will you just shut up?"

Karin gasped. _Why that- _She cut off her thoughts as she sensed a deadly aura coming from the girl in front of her.

"You honestly expect me to believe that? You know nothing about Sasuke! He doesn't care about popularity or reputations! He cares about his friends! He's one of the most loyal guys I know! There's no way he'd do something like that!"

Karin composed herself and giggled some more. "My, how far you've fallen. You actually have feelings for him. Too bad. Well, don't come crying to me when he's through with you." She shrugged and walked away, leaving a very angry Sakura.

_Sasuke would never do a thing like that! He's not cold like everyone says; he's a good person!_

* * *

Classes were dismissed for the day. Sasuke walked down the hall, avoiding people as much as possible, until he was stopped when someone called out to him. "Uchiha. I need to have a word with you."

That definitely wasn't a fan girl; they don't call him by his last name. Sasuke turned to Neji. Inwardly, he was a little surprised. Hyuuga kept to himself almost as much as he did; he wasn't one to randomly want a conversation. Sasuke sighed. He knew it was probably important, but he was in a hurry; he was supposed to meet up with Sakura to rehearse.

* * *

Sakura hurried over to the music room. The teacher had sent her on an errand before the bell rang, so she knew she was running late. She could see Sasuke's mocking smirk. A vein popped on her head at the thought. His arrogance was one of the things that always seemed to get on her nerves! Her mind kept replaying what Karin tried to tell her. _Sasuke's not like that. He may be arrogant at times, but he would never hurt his friends!_

When she got there, she burst through the door…but no one was there. She looked around. _That's strange. Where's Sasuke? Did he forget?_

* * *

"What the hell do you want, Hyuuga?"

Both boys had gone into an empty classroom Apparently, Hyuuga wanted to talk privately. Sasuke glimpsed at the clock. _He better make this quick. _

Neji closed his eyes for a moment. He had already planned what he was going to say, but that didn't make it any less difficult. Once he was ready, he looked Sasuke in the eye. "You've been spending a lot of time with that Haruno girl."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "So?"

_He didn't deny it._ "So I'm aware of your motives."

"Did you hit your head or something?"

A vein popped; this was a serious matter! And he was accusing him of having a brain injury?!

"I happen to know that you just learned her name. Before this year, you never knew she existed. Why the sudden attention? You know it's not wise to mess with a girl's emotions."

Sasuke sighed. "You're not making sense."

"You're using her, aren't you?"

Sasuke stiffened. _What?_

"It could be that you're trying to keep your fans away, especially that Karin girl. Or it could be that you enjoy messing with outcasts. Whatever the case, I won't allow you to mess with her for your own amusement."

* * *

Sakura wandered the halls, retracing her steps. _It's not like him to be late. I wonder what happened._

She kept looking around, trying to spot that dark, spiked hair. She didn't hear any squealing either. _So, he's probably not in the hall… Maybe he's back at the classroom?_

* * *

Sasuke's eyes were hidden by his bangs. He remained silent for a moment. His hands fisted, and his knuckles turned white. Neji simply stood there with his arms crossed, waiting for an answer.

"Judging by your lack of response, I'd say my theory is dead on."

"… … Is that what you think?" he growled.

Neji couldn't deny he was a bit startled. Sasuke's voice was so much darker and menacing, like he really pissed him off now.

Hearing that accusation, something snapped within Sasuke. He brought his eyes up and glared at Neji.

"Well, I guess you caught me! I just thought it would help my image to take pity on the pathetic nerd! The fan girls' backing off is a just nice bonus! And once I'm bored with her, I'll just toss her aside and let her return to her little corner! **Is that what you want to hear?!**"

Neji remained silent. However, Sasuke noticed his eyes weren't looking at him... they were looking through him. _What the hell? Wasn't he just interrogating me? _

"…So it's true."

Sasuke's eyes widened as his body froze. He knew that voice. He turned to see Sakura. Her head was lowered, her fists were clenched, and her body was trembling. He wanted to apologize, explain what was going on…anything! But nothing came out of his mouth. He just stood there, frozen. Next thing he knew, Sakura had turned around and was running.

"Sakura, WAIT!"

He took off after her, forgetting the damn Hyuuga. He was finally able to catch her arm when she whirled around and slapped him right in the face!

Sasuke stepped back, stunned. He hadn't seen it coming! He couldn't even dodge! _What the…_

He didn't have time to react as Sakura grabbed him by the collar. He could see the pure betrayal and fury in her eyes.

"You're just like everyone else! You don't care about me! You don't care about anyone! Well if I'm so _pathetic_, then I'll do you a favor and make sure you don't have to look at me! Ever!"

Sakura let go, quickly turned around, and ran. As she ran away, Sasuke could see the subtle stream of tears fly off her face. He wanted to chase her, but somehow he knew he couldn't. She wouldn't listen to anything he had to say.

He punched a locker as he growled "Dammit!"

Meanwhile, a certain redhead stood off to the side, smirking as she witnessed a nerd's heartbreak. "That's what you get, Reject."

* * *

Sakura ran as fast as her legs could take her. She didn't care where she ended up; she didn't even care that she had no clue where she was going. She just had to get as far away from that stupid Uchiha as possible!

_Why? Why did I ever think… that someone like him could care about me? He was using me the entire time! I'm his fangirl-repellant! That's all I am to him! I hate him!_

Suddenly she stopped. That was it. The pain was just too much. Her legs folded beneath her, and she slumped to the ground. She took off her necklace and stared at it in her palm. Her hand closed around it. _It was all a lie. He never cared. Never!_

"Am I… really just a waste of space?"

"Don't tell me you're actually believing She-Devil."

Sakura looked up to see Ino. She was smiling, but it wasn't a happy one. "I saw what happened."

"Ino…"

"Come on, let's get somewhere more comfy." She turned back and smirked. "Unless you prefer sitting on the sidewalk." She held out her hand.

Sakura couldn't help but give a weak smile. Ino's always been there for her, no matter what, even if she _did _just make a complete fool of herself. She gave Ino her hand.

"So, want to talk about it?"

Sakura remained silent. She was still processing what happened. The person whom she thought had cared about her thought of her as a tool. He didn't care; he never did.

She looked down with a grave look on her face. "Not really."

Ino walked Sakura home in silence. There really wasn't any point in going back; school was over and Sakura was in no condition to socialize or anything.

Mrs. Haruno was certainly shocked when Ino and Sakura walked in. She turned to greet them, but she noticed the sadness in their eyes. Something had happened.

She sighed. "Come to the kitchen. I'll make some tea."

* * *

"I don't know, Ino…"

"Come on. It's the one thing I know will make you feel better."

The two girls were now in Sakura's room. Ino had explained to her mother what she saw, but Sakura wasn't ready to talk. Mrs. Haruno knew she had to get this off her chest; she exchanged a glance with Ino, then nodded. That's when Ino suggested going upstairs, leaving Mrs. Haruno to continue cleaning. _I'll let Ino have first crack. My turn will be tomorrow._

Ino walked over and grabbed Sakura's guitar off the stand. Sakura stiffened a little. Just looking at it filled her heart with pain; that was a reminder of Sasuke's act.

Ino read her look. "Oh… was it…"

"It was from… him."

Ino slumped. "I'm sorry. I didn't…"

Sakura looked up at her with a tiny smile. "It's okay. I didn't tell anyone."

Sakura turned her attention back to the guitar in Ino's hands. Part of her wanted to crush it like he crushed her heart.

**CHA! HE DESERVES IT!**

However, she knew she didn't want it to be true; she wanted to believe that Sasuke did care, at least a little. This guitar was her link to the good times; even though she hated what he did to her, she'd treasure those memories.

She reached for the guitar. Ino was about to leave, but Sakura stopped her.

"You can stay. I'd like you to hear this. I need to stop hiding all the time."

Ino blinked. _Where'd this come from?_ She was proud of her, but this wasn't the time to tell her that, She sat on the bed as Sakura sat on a stool. Secretly, she pulled out her phone and hit the record button on the camera app. She had a feeling she'd need this later. She focused on Sakura's pained expression.

_Let's talk this over; it's not like we're dead._

_Was it something I did? Was it something you said?_

_Don't leave me hanging in a city so dead,_

_Held up so high on such a breakable thread._

_You were all the things I thought I knew,_

_And I thought we could be…_

_You were everything, everything that I wanted._

_We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it._

_And all of the memories so close to me just fade away._

_All this time you were pretending; so much for my happy ending._

_It's nice to know that you were there_

_Thanks for acting like you care_

_And making me feel like I was the only one._

_It's nice to know we had it all_

_Thanks for watching as I fall_

_Letting me know we were done_

_He was everything, everything that I wanted._

_We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it._

_And all of the memories so close to me just fade away._

_All this time you were pretending; so much for my happy ending._

* * *

_**Music: My Happy Ending by Avril Lavigne**_


	12. What Hurts the Most

_Beep!Beep!Beep!Be-_

Sakura slowly turned off her alarm and sat up. Her body felt heavy, as though she didn't have the strength to get up. She brought her legs to her chest and hugged them.

"I don't know if I can do this."

"You don't have to."

Sakura looked up at her mother, who was standing in the doorway. "At least, you don't have to today. I already called your school. You're going to spend the day with me." Mrs. Haruno gave her a smile.

Her mom had so much energy now. _It's like how it used to be._ Sakura managed a small smile in return, but it didn't last long.

Mrs. Haruno took a seat on the bed. "If there's one thing I know, it's that everyone needs a day off now and then. Besides, it's about time we had some fun together."

Sakura tried to smile again, but her mother could tell she was still aching. _Heartbreak is one of the hardest injuries to heal… This might take more than one day._

She gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Get dressed. I'll have breakfast ready in a minute."

* * *

Hinata and Tenten were grim. Rumors were spreading around the school like wildfire; they heard about what happened between Sakura and Sasuke. However, no one seemed to blame Sasuke. Just walking through the halls, they could hear girls gossiping.

"_It's her own fault. She should've known better."_

"_If you ask me, she got what she deserves. Such an idiot."_

"_How much do you want to bet she's not coming back?"_

These were only rumors, and they'd be forgotten eventually. Still, Sakura was probably hurting. If only there was something they could do.

"D-do you think… he cares at all?"

Tenten looked at Hinata and sighed. "To be honest, I have no idea."

Hinata's eyes lowered. "I was afraid you'd say that."

* * *

Naruto hurried over to class. He knew what Sasuke had in store for the band, and he couldn't wait to pump him for info, even though he saw everything that happened. He failed to notice any of the whispering; he never paid much attention to gossip, anyway.

He burst into the room and searched for that teme. He spotted him and made his way towards him, but an arm shot out and blocked his path. Naruto saw the arm was Shikamaru's. He gave him a questioning look. "What the heck-"

"Before you go torment Sasuke, take a good look at him."

Naruto did as he was told. Sasuke's body slumped in his seat. He leaned forward, folding his arms on the top of the desk and resting his head on them. His eyes looked so… lifeless.

Shikamaru looked at the blonde from the corner of his eye. "It'd be wise to approach with caution…"

Naruto wasn't listening; he had already moved to get in Sasuke's face.

"Yo, Teme! What's up? You look like you're knocking on deaths door!"

Shikamaru groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose. _So much for caution_.

The Uchiha didn't say anything. He wouldn't even acknowledge his presence.

"Hey! Earth to Teme! What's with you? I thought you'd be more excited since you got Sakura to-"

At the very mention of her name, Sasuke's eyes widened for a split second before glaring at Naruto.

"Just shut the hell up!"

Naruto stepped back. _That glare is way more intense than usual! What could've happened?_

"What the hell is your problem?!"

Sasuke sat up a little straighter, looking him dead in the eye.

"My problem is you! NOW LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Naruto could hardly recognize Sasuke's voice. He narrowed his eyes, but he said nothing. Instead, he turned around and walked away. Shikamaru sighed in relief. _For once, he made a smart decision._

* * *

After the dobe finally walked away, Sasuke returned to his original position. He didn't know why he felt like this. He just couldn't stop thinking about yesterday; the image of Sakura's face as she screamed at him kept popping up.

He buried his head a little lower. He knew it wasn't the dobe's fault; he didn't even know what happened. Still, he wasn't helping. He glanced over to the corner, where Sakura usually sat; it was empty. It felt like something stabbed him in the chest. _Dammit._ He really messed up this time.

* * *

At the end of class, Naruto sprang up to interrogate his friend again. Something was eating at Sasuke, and he didn't like it. But the teme somehow left ahead of him. _I really hate how fast he can be._

Naruto noticed something on Sasuke's desk; he looked down. He left his notebook behind. Naruto picked it up, but something fell out of it. It looked like a small piece of paper. When he reached for it, it was actually a photo. He looked at it, and his eyes widened.

_Sasuke…you…_

* * *

At free period, Ino showed the video of Sakura singing to Tenten and Hinata. "She just needs some time to herself. Her mom is spending the day with her to get her mind off things."

"Still, this sucks!" Tenten glared at nothing in particular. "At least she got a good slap in!"

Hinata looked down and squirmed a bit. Ino noticed and turned to her. "What's on your mind?"

"W-well… Sasuke… had actually talked to me about Sakura…a-after Karin broke her guitar…"

Tenten's eyes widened. "He what?"

"Maybe it's my fault for telling him anything, but…i-if he really was just using her…would he really care about her feelings like that?"

Ino's eyes softened. "Hinata…" Suddenly she gasped. "Wait! I almost forgot! I noticed that Neji was in the room with Sasuke. Maybe he knows something!"

* * *

Sasuke walked into the room for band practice. Pissed or not, he had a commitment. He found the guys had already gathered. Sasuke sent a glare towards the Hyuuga, but turned and walked to his guitar. However, since they were gathered in one spot, no one could tell it was directed at a single person.

Kiba groaned. "Geez, do we really have to deal with Mr. Personality right now?"

Naruto raised a fist to Kiba. "Shut up, Mutt-face! Teme needs us right now!"

"Who're you calling a mutt?!"

You could practically see sparks fly as they growled at each other.

"Actually, I think Kiba has a point."

"Eh?" They stopped and turned to Shikamaru, who was looking at Sasuke.

"You obviously need some time alone. We'll leave for a little while. We can rehearse later."

Sasuke didn't respond; he didn't look at them. However, he didn't try to stop them either. Shikamaru led the others out; Neji was unaffected, Kiba was relieved, but Naruto was far beyond confused.

* * *

When the door closed, Sasuke looked down at his guitar. _Why? Why is she still affecting me like this?_

Images of her continued to plague his mind; he saw her sad and angry… but he also had visions of when she had smiled, acting like such a brat. He had to admit…he liked having her around. Even if she's annoying.

But now… she was somewhere in pain because he lost his control. He held his head. _Why the hell did I say those things?_ He knew why. He lost his temper, so he retorted with sarcasm. Hyuuga's accusation was just so infuriating! And when he snapped, he didn't pay attention to the presence behind him. He had been so angry at the thought of hurting her, yet that's what he managed to do.

_Damn! How can I make her believe me? I didn't mean it! I…I…_

Sasuke's hands fell to his sides. _I hate it… when she's not around…_

He looked to his guitar on the stand. _What the hell… No one's watching…_

_I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house; that don't bother me_

_I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out._

_I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while _

_Even though going on with you gone still upsets me._

_There are days every now and again I pretend I'm okay,_

_But that's not what gets me._

_What hurts the most is being so close_

_And having so much to say; and watching you walk away_

_And never knowing what could have been_

_And not seeing that loving you is what I was trying to do._

_**That's it. I think I love her. But I blew it. She probably hates me.**_

_It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go, but I'm doing it._

_It's hard to smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone._

_Still harder getting up, getting dressed, living with this regret_

_But I know if I could do it over_

_I would trade; give away all the words that I saved in my heart _

_That I have left unspoken_

_What hurts the most is being so close_

_And having so much to say and watching you walk away_

_And never knowing what could've been _

_And not seeing that loving you…._

_Is what I was trying to do._

* * *

"What the hell was that, Lazy-ass?!" Naruto hollered.

Shikamaru kept his eyes closed. "It's troublesome, but he's emotionally unstable right now. Let him sort through his thoughts…"

"What'll that do?! He's had all day to do that!"

Kiba spoke up. "Does anyone know why he's so pissed in the first place?"

No one noticed Neji stiffen ever so slightly. Naruto froze. _That photo…_

He took off. He knew who he had to ask about that.

* * *

Hinata paced by her locker. She knew she had to approach her cousin, but she couldn't find the courage to do it… _What should I do?_

"HINATA!"

She jumped as she turned to see Naruto dashing towards her. "N-Naruto?"

"Hinata! What do you know about this?" He held the photo out to her. She took it from him and looked at it. There was Sakura, sitting next to Sasuke. What surprised her were the looks on their faces. _Sakura seems so happy… and Sasuke…_

"You see that? Teme's actually _smiling_! It's small, but it's there!"

Hinata nodded. "But, Naruto, where did you get this?"

He shrugged. "I found it in his notebook."

_In his noteboo_k? Hinata gasped. "N-Naruto! Do you know what this means?!"

Naruto blinked. He closed his eyes and held his chin, trying to think. Then he shrugged.

Hinata smiled. "That means Sasuke has feelings for Sakura after all! I mean, that picture has to be important for him to keep it in his notebook, right?"

"Huh? Wait a minute. What do you mean 'after all'?"

"You… you mean you don't know what happened?"

"Eh?"

After she relayed what she knew, Naruto was hysterical!

"WHAT? Like the teme could ever toss her aside like that!"

Hinatas eyes were downcast. "But… that's what Sakura seems to believe. Ino also heard what he said…"

Naruto observed her. _She's as worried as I am._

"We… we think Neji may know something…"

"What? Well, then let's go talk to him!"

"It's not that simple, Naruto. I can't-"

Naruto grabbed her hand. "Come on! I'll be right there with you!"

Hinata couldn't help but blush as Naruto beamed.

"We're going to fix this! Believe it!"

* * *

"Neji, c-can we talk for a moment?"

Neji looked over to see Hinata standing behind him.

"Of course." He got up and followed her down the hall. Naruto was positioned so he could jump in at any moment. _Come on, Hinata…_

She took a deep breath. "Neji, is it true you were with Sasuke when he got in that fight yesterday?"

Neji remained silent.

"Please, Neji! I heard you were there! We just want to know what happened."

One look from those pleading eyes had Neji sighing. "It was for her own good."

Hinata blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Sasuke was only using her, Hinata. It was only a matter of time before-"

Naruto took that as his cue. "THAT'S NOT TRUE!"

Naruto jumped to Hinata's side and shoved the picture in Neji's face. "Take a good look at Sasuke! Does that look like acting to you?"

Neji grunted, but he took the photo anyway. What he saw shocked him. It wasn't just the smile… the way he was looking at her… his eyes were so different…

He quickly gave the photo back. "That means nothing. It could still be an act."

Naruto growled. "Who fed you this crap, anyway?!"

"It was that Karin girl."

_**SMACK!**_

Hinata and Naruto stepped back in shock! Out of nowhere, Tenten appeared and punched Neji in the face with enough force to knock him down!

* * *

**_Music: What Hurts the Most by Rascal Flatts_**


	13. The Reason

**_Okay, so obviously Sasuke messed up, and now it's time for the friends to get to work. This chapter is mostly about their scheme. Enjoy :)_**

* * *

_Previously on SSHS:_

_Naruto growled. "Who fed you this crap, anyway?!"_

"_It was that Karin girl."_

_**SMACK!**_

_Hinata and Naruto stepped back in shock! Out of nowhere, Tenten had appeared and punched Neji in the face with enough force to knock him down!_

* * *

Neji sat on the ground, rubbing his cheek. _I was caught off guard_. Towering over him was none other than Tenten. Judging by the darkness in her eyes, she was beyond pissed! Naruto was holding her back as she tried to come at him again.

"You bastard! Why the heck would you listen to her? Don't you know that _thing_ lives to torment Sakura on a daily basis? Oh wait, you don't because you just ignore what goes on like everybody else!"

Hinata figured Tenten was letting out all of her pent up anger at once. "Tenten…"

"Why? You've never given a crap until now! So why would you care this time? You should've left it alone! She was happy! For once, she was actually…"

Tenten stopped struggling. Her body seemed to slump. Neji was shocked when her shoulders started trembling. Naruto's eyes widened, too; he wasn't sure what he should do.

_There's a crying girl in my arms! There's a crying girl in my arms! THERE'S A CRYING GIRL IN MY ARMS!_

Neji looked away. The sight of her crying was just so…

Tenten spoke again with a shaky voice. "You have no idea what's it like… to be neglected…"

Hinata could tell she wasn't just talking about Sakura. Tenten had feelings for Neji for the longest time, but he never acknowledged them.

Neji stared at the trembling girl. _Neglected? What does she mean by that?_

He thought of what she said. He remembered that Haruno mostly kept to herself, so he never really bothered. However, he had no idea she was going through so much. But it was true: he never concerned himself until now.

He thought of the evidence presented to him. The photograph clearly depicted that Sasuke had feelings for her; he never even considered the possibility. He thought of the fact that if Karin hadn't brought up Hinata, he would've minded his own business. Yet he played right into her hands and became her pawn.

"What have I done? This is terrible," he whispered.

"It's fine, Neji. You were simply concerned about me, weren't you?"

Neji's eyes shot up to Hinata as she smiled. "She used that old trick, didn't she?" She was well aware of how overprotective he was when it came to her.

Naruto decided it was time to speak up. "Alright. Let's find everyone else. It's time to get those two to make up!"

"Hey, guys."

They all turned to Shikamaru, who was standing there with a flash drive. "I think you should hear this."

* * *

Everyone had gathered in the commons area as Shikamaru played the recording.

Kiba eyed him suspiciously. "Say, when did you get this anyway?"

"I set this up while you and Naruto created that distraction."

Kiba and Naruto blinked. _Distraction? Weren't we fighting?_

"This is what Sasuke was doing when he was alone. I figured it'd explain what was bugging him, but I never imagined it'd be crystal clear."

They listened as Sasuke was singing. Naruto's eyes narrowed. "What the heck? This isn't one of the songs I gave him! He's supposed to-"

"Naruto! Can't you tell he's singing from the heart?!" Ino screamed.

Naruto rolled his eyes. He'd never really get girls.

Tenten spoke up. "So, what now?"

Ino smirked. "Don't you worry about a thing! I already have a plan." She turned to the guys. "And you'll have to cooperate. Got it?"

They weren't too thrilled about taking orders from Ino, but they figured they should go with it.

"Okay, so here's what has to happen."

* * *

Sasuke slowly walked onto campus. His mood hadn't changed; he was getting pissed at just about anything. There was only one way to fix this. _But will she listen?_

He scanned the crowd around him, trying to spot any sign of pink. _She takes school seriously; she wouldn't skip again._

He froze when he finally found her. She was sitting on a bench, writing in a notebook. A strange feeling of relief started to come over him. _She's here._

Her eyes caught sight of him; he could swear they widened. Then she suddenly got up and took off. Sasuke remained where he was standing; that feeling of relief had been crushed_. She's avoiding me… _

This continued for the rest of the day. Sasuke kept trying to get her attention so he could talk, but she kept slipping away. He even tried passing her a note in class, but a fan got a hold of it and tore it up when she saw it wasn't for her. Sasuke grit his teeth. What else could he do?

Naruto watched as Sakura practically ran away from Sasuke. _That's got to be frustrating._ He knew it was time to put Ino's plan into motion.

"Hey, Teme. Come on, it's time for rehearsal."

Sasuke remained silent but led the way anyway. Naruto sighed as rubbed his neck; he wasn't sure how much longer he could watch his best friend act like this. _He's like a freaking zombie!_

* * *

Once the band was set up, Shikamaru nodded at Kiba, who spoke up. "Hey Sasuke, how about you pick the song today?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Why the hell should I do that?"

Kiba narrowed his eyes. "Cut the attitude already! Pick a song to let out that stress."

Naruto nodded repeatedly. "Yeah, you obviously want to get this off your chest."

Sasuke turned away. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about this!" Naruto chucked his notebook at him; the picture was taped onto the cover.

Sasuke gaped. _When did he get this?_ He couldn't help but stare at her smile for just a little bit. He snapped out of it and lightly tossed it aside. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Neji couldn't take it anymore. "Uchiha, this is about what happened with Sakura. I understand now that I was in the wrong, and I apologize."

This surprised everyone in the room. Neji Hyuuga never apologized for anything!

Sasuke looked at him for a second. "Hn. Whatever."

Neji took that to mean his apology was accepted. "Sing what you want to say, Uchiha."

Sasuke thought for a second. _What I want to say to her?_

His mind wandered to her for the past couple of days. He couldn't help but feel guilty. Sakura thought he found her to be worthless, but that was far from true. His memories of her kept popping up in his head.

He saw her on the roof after facing down those girls.

"_I know we're not exactly friends, but could you maybe stay? I'm just… sick of being alone."_

He saw the way she smirked when he refused her help.

"_Please. If I didn't help you, you'd be here all night!"_

The way she smiled when she handed him a guitar in the store…

"_Care to show me what you got?"_

Her childish antics at the photo booth…

"_Sasuke! Wanna do it?"_

The way she hugged him as she cried…

"_Thank you, Sasuke..."_

Sasuke knew she was the only one to make him act differently; she always had some sort of power over him that he couldn't escape. Now he hurt her, and all he wanted was for her to know how important she was. It didn't matter if she forgave him; he didn't deserve it. She just had to know…

At that moment, the perfect song revealed itself in his mind.

"…Got it. Follow my lead."

* * *

Sakura sat alone in the courtyard. She sighed. She thought she was ready to face Sasuke; a day with her mom can work wonders! But… as soon as she saw his face, his gaze made her panic. Her body reacted by running away without her permission. _I promised myself that I'd move on, but…_

"Sakura?"

She looked up and saw Hinata looking at her, concern etched in her face.

"Yeah?"

The shy girl fidgeted a little before she tried to speak. "Umm… th- there's something w-we think you should hear."

Sakura raised a brow. "We?"

Hinata nodded. "Th-they're waiting for us."

* * *

Sakura had expected Ino and Tenten; she didn't expect to see Neji and Shikamaru as well!

"Uh… what's going on?"

Neji turned to her and…

Inner Sakura had a panic attack!** HE'S BOWING! WHY IS NEJI BOWING?!**

_Chill! It's not like he's on his hands and knees! He's just bending a bit._

**BUT THIS IS NEJI HYUUGA! **

…_Good point. I'm confused._

"N… Neji?"

He slowly rose. "I owe you an apology, Miss Haruno. In a way, Uchiha was set up by me. I caused his outburst."

Sakura stared for a second, then she gave a sad smile. "Thank you, but I don't see how it's your fault. He said what he said; no one forced him to say it."

Neji's eyes widened. _Why won't she blame me?_ "But…"

"Sakura. I doubt he actually meant it. It's rare, but he _can_ use sarcasm once in a while."

Sakura looked at Shikamaru and noticed the flash drive in his hand. He followed her gaze and nodded.

"This is something he recorded at free period. Actually, he didn't know we were recording. However, he sang it to you."

Sakura stood there dumbfounded as Shikamaru set up his laptop and played the recording. What Sakura heard made her heart almost shatter all over again.

_I'm not a perfect person. _

_There's many things I wish I didn't do._

_But I continue learning. _

_I never meant to do those things to you_

_And so I have to say before I go_

_That I just want you to know_

_I found a reason for me_

_To change who I used to be_

_A reason to start over new_

_And the reason is you._

_I'm sorry that I hurt you_

_It's something I must live with everyday._

_And all the pain I put you through._

_I wish that I could take it all away_

_And be the one who catches all your tears_

_That's why I need you to hear_

_I found a reason for me_

_To change who I used to be _

_A reason to start over new_

_And the reason is you_

_I've found a reason to show_

_A side of me you didn't know_

_A reason for all that I do_

_And the reason is you. And the reason is you._

Shikamaru stopped the recording. He looked over at Sakura and tried his best not to smile at the silver tears streaming down her face. _I guess it worked_. He thought back to what Yamanaka had said.

"_Sakura communicates best through music. Naruto even said that's what Sasuke did last time. So, we need to get him to sing for her again."_

Hinata gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sakura?"

"I…I'm such an idiot! Why didn't I trust him? K-Karin tried to tell me he'd do this, and I was so sure it wasn't true! But when I heard him… I just…"

Neji's eyes softened with concern. "It's understandable. Karin had set the whole thing up. She sent me after Sasuke."

Sakura hands fisted as her body trembled. "I can't believe… I fell for that…that bitch's trick. Now what? How can… how can he ever forgive me?"

Shikamaru scratched his head. _This is getting troublesome._ "Well, the only way to find out is to apologize to him."

He put his hands behind his head. "It won't be easy, though. Besides, with the festival being a few days away, we're going to be busy with rehearsals."

"Rehearsals?" They all looked at Sakura. The tears had stopped, and now the wheels in her head were turning. She wiped her eyes and smiled. "I think I've got an idea. Tell the rest of "Will of Fire" to meet us in the music room right now."

* * *

_**I know, the conflict hasn't resolved, so we'll have to see what Sakura has up her sleeve, now won't we?**_

_**Music: The Reason by Hoobastank (whatever that name means)**_


	14. My Life Would Suck Without You

**_Previously, on SSHS:_**

"_I think I've got an idea. Tell the rest of the "Will of Fire" to meet us in the music room right now."_

* * *

"Man, do we really have to meet now? I need to get home and walk Akamaru!"

"Shut up, Mutt-face! Shikamaru said it was urgent, so let's just get it over with!"

Kiba growled. "What did I tell you about calling me that?"

They started another glaring contest as Neji opened the door to the music room. When he saw the scene, he let out a frustrated sigh.

"Kiba… Naruto."

The two failed to notice Hyuuga, and his patience was wearing thin again.

"Kiba! Naruto!"

They continued to growl at each other. Neji was about to tear them apart by hand when suddenly-

"Hey! You made it!"

Sakura hurried out of the room, finally catching their attention. Neji's eyes narrowed. _They ignore me, but one word from her and they come running? _

Naruto blinked. "Sakura? What're you doing here?"

She blushed a little. "I… I have a favor to ask."

* * *

Shikamaru had to admit; these girls were pretty creative with their plans. _Still…_

"Are you sure you can handle that? You do realize that plenty of people could see this."

Sakura turned to him. "I know. But he's the one who told me to stop hiding from the world. Besides, he wanted me to sing at the festival, so it could be like an audition."

All of the guys gaped at her. She innocently looked at their shocked expressions. "What? He didn't run it by you?"

Neji coughed. "Well… no… not exactly…" _If I had known that, we wouldn't be in this mess_, he thought grimly.

Kiba crossed his arms. "I'm not buying it. This is Sasuke Uchiha we're talking about. I can't see him making promises to some girl. I mean, can you even sing?"

Naruto glared and was about to give him a piece of his mind, but Sakura cut him off. She looked him directly in the eyes.

"Well, if you help me out, then I'll show you."

Kiba raised an eyebrow at her boldness. Shikamaru smirked. "So, Kiba, does that mean you're in?"

Kiba returned the smirk and looked at Sakura. "I don't back down from a challenge. I'm in."

Sakura looked over at Neji; he smiled and nodded. Shikamaru did the same.

"I'M IN, TOO! LET'S DO THIS!" Naruto pumped his fist in the air.

Sakura smiled. "Thank you. So, let's start at the top."

* * *

In the halls of the school, a pale, dark figure made his way through the crowds, observing his surroundings. He remained quiet, but he was constantly on the lookout for some inspiration for his art.

Speaking of inspiration, he saw his art partner sitting alone with distress in her complexion. He wasn't sure, but he assumed this was a sign of needing some…well, comfort.

"Miss Yamanaka."

Ino was a bit startled, he observed, as she jumped a bit before turning to him. "Sai… what's up?"

Sai frowned. Her attitude was strange; she certainly wasn't as energetic. "Miss Yamanaka, may I ask what the matter is? You look like something is bothering you."

Ino turned away. "Well… I guess you're right about that…"

"Is it something I can help with?"

Ino shook her head. "Not really."

Sai was confused. "Well, then, what's going on?"

Ino looked at him carefully. "I don't want to bug you with this… But listen. I know we agreed to meet tomorrow to work on portraits, but something's come up."

Sai tilted his head. "Does this something have to do with what's troubling you?"

Ino raised an eyebrow. _What's got him so concerned?_

"Well, yeah. Something happened between Sakura and Sasuke. But, Sakura's got a plan! And I'm going to help her! It'll only be for a little bit, so we can still meet. It'd just be a little later." She paused for a second. "It's okay to get upset. I know we already agreed to meet, but this is something I have to do!"

Sai smiled as he shook his head. "It's really no trouble. You want to help your friend. You are as loyal as you are confident. It's what I like about you."

Ino blushed. "What you…like?"

Sai nodded. Then he looked away with a slight blush of his own. "Actually, I was meaning to ask you. The school festival is in a few days. I understand that it's customary to bring someone with you, and-"

"Umm… can you get to the point, Sai?" Ino was trying not to get her hopes up. It sounded like he was looking for a date, but there was no guarantee he was going to ask her. _For all I know, he wants me to set him up with someone._

Sai swallowed a bit before he turned to her, looking into her eyes. "Ino… would you care to accompany me?"

Ino gasped. "S-Sai… You…"

Sai kept his gaze up, serious in his face mixed with a small hint of desperation. "I understand if you already had plans. I am aware of the number of invitations you've received. But still, I-"

He was cut off as Ino got a hold of him. "It's about time, you baka! I was waiting for forever!"

Sai's eyes didn't blink. "I don't understand. Is…that a yes?"

She looked at him and beamed. "Duh! Of course I'll go with you!"

Ino was shocked for the second time when she saw Sai give a smile. "Well, that's good."

Ino was sure her face was turning pink, but Sai didn't seem to notice. "So, then, may I help with Sakura's plan, then?"

Ino nodded. "Sure. If you want to."

* * *

Sasuke tried to make his way through the mess that once looked like a school. Everyone was hard at work setting up the stands for the festival, but he couldn't stop and enjoy the sights. His destination was the outdoor stage. He was a little early for the time they agreed on, but he didn't really care. He liked the peace.

When he got there, he was surprised to find all of the band members ready to go. _Wait a minute. Naruto's always the last one to show, and that's at least 20 minutes later!_

Shikamaru saw Uchiha coming; he touched the radio in his ear.

"Alright, target approaching. You ready?"

He heard a deep breath in the background as a voice responded. _"A-All set back here. Whenever you're ready."_

"You're sure? She's good to go?"

"_Yes."_

* * *

In the back, Hinata turned to Sakura, who was trying to control her breathing. She was dressed in casual wear: jeans and a green jacket. She also had her hair tied up. She was close to strangling the microphone in her hand. Hinata gave a reassuring smile. She whispered. "It'll be great. You rehearsed this over and over; you can do it!"

Sakura slowly nodded, grasping the pendant. She wasn't sure if Sasuke noticed she wasn't wearing it after what happened, but she decided it fit to put it back on.

* * *

"Right. What about the surrounding area?"

A different voice groaned before it responded. Obviously, it was the blonde. _"Ever hear of plain English, nerd? Anyway, everyone's a little busy right now, but we're ready for any psycho fans!"_

"_All clear on this end, too."_ Came Tenten's voice.

Shikamaru nodded. Everyone was in position. The band was set, the 'guest star' was ready backstage with Hinata, and the other girls plus Sai (Shikamaru still wasn't sure what he was doing here, but whatever. It's not his business) were on guard for any threats. _This had better work. All this planning was such a pain. _He looked over to Naruto and sweat-dropped. _He'd better not blow our cover._

Naruto was grinning like an idiot; he really couldn't help it. _This is going to be epic!_

* * *

When Sasuke got close enough, his suspicions were raised when he saw dobe's face. "What's going on?"

Naruto looked like he was in pain, but in reality, he was trying to keep from bursting into laughter. He snickered, "He's so clueless! I love it!"

Neji grumbled, trying to keep his volume low so Uchiha wouldn't hear, "Says the loud-mouth idiot. You're just happy it's not you this time."

"Yeah! …Wait, what did you call me?!

"Naruto, cool it!" Kiba growled.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. These guys still failed to realize how sharp his hearing really was. "Will someone tell me, already? I know something's up."

Shikamaru buried his face in his hand; this was getting troublesome.

* * *

Hinata saw what was going on. _Oh, Naruto, you can't stay serious when you're this excited, can you?_ She turned to Sakura. "I've got to help."

Sakura nodded in understanding. "Go for it. Thanks, Hinata," she whispered

She swallowed her fear and dashed around the stage.

* * *

"Sasuke!"

He looked over to the dark-haired girl approaching him. _What's she doing here?_

She smiled. "The band has a surprise for you."

As soon as she said that, Sasuke turned to walk away, but she quickly grabbed his arm. "You'll like it, I promise. Please stay."

Sasuke sweat-dropped._ I highly doubt that. It was probably the dobe's idea. _But, his curiosity got the best of him.

"Hn."

Hinata took that as an agreement, so she released his arm and nodded to Neji. With a quick glance, Kiba clicked a beat, and the guitars started.

Sasuke blinked; this song wasn't on the list the dobe gave him. He would know, since he had to look up every single one.

_What's this song? Have I heard it before?_ His thoughts were cut off as he heard a different voice start to sing.

_Guess this means you're sorry; you're standing at my door_

_Guess this means you take back all you said before_

Sasuke looked around. He thought he knew who was singing, but he didn't want to get his hopes up. Unfortunately, she wasn't anywhere in sight. _But where's the singing coming from?_ _There's no one else on stage._

_Like how much you wanted anyone but me._

_Said you'd never come back, but here you are again._

Sakura burst from the curtains; when he saw her, Sasuke stiffened. But at that moment, his feet weren't functioning properly; he was frozen.

Sakura made her way to center stage, but she was having trouble looking at Sasuke directly.

'_Cause we belong together now, yeah_

_Forever united here somehow, yeah_

_You got a piece of me and honestly_

_My life would suck without you._

Sasuke processed what was going on. He paid close attention to the lyrics. _Is she…?_

_Maybe I was stupid for telling you goodbye._

_Maybe I was wrong for trying to pick a fight._

_I know that I've got issues, but you're pretty messed up, too_

_Either way I found out, I'm nothing without you_

'_Cause we belong together now, yeah_

_Forever united here somehow, yeah_

_You've got a piece of me and honestly_

_My life would suck without you._

Sasuke's eyes widened, refusing to blink. _I think she's…forgiving me…_

The band members all smirked as they saw his expression. It's not everyday you get to see Sasuke Uchiha completely caught off guard!

_Being with you is so dysfunctional_

_I really shouldn't miss you, but I can't let you go._

When his body was finally responding, he slowly made his way towards the stage; his eyes remained focused on her. She was looking at him now, and she was smiling. She made her way to him.

'_Cause we belong together now, yeah_

_Forever united here somehow, yeah_

_You got a piece of me and honestly_

_My life would such without you._

When they met, they stared at each other for a moment. Sasuke opened his mouth to speak. "Sakura, I…"

Sakura held up her hand. "I was an idiot, Sasuke. Can you forgive this paranoid freak?"

Sasuke's mouth was slightly agape. _I'm supposed to do the apologizing. What's she thinking?_

Sakura was getting nervous. She had planned to respond to Sasuke's song with one of her own, but she hadn't anticipated what would happen afterwards. _Maybe he's not ready to forgive me for the pain I caused him..._

Suddenly, Sakrua found herself caught in his embrace.

"…You really are annoying."

Now, most girls would get offended, but Sakura knew better. She smiled. "Thank you, and apology accepted."

They parted slightly, though they didn't let go. Sasuke's eyes moved to her neck. Relief swept over him at the sight. "You're wearing the necklace again."

She blushed. _So he noticed?_

They stayed there for a while. Ino, Sai, and Tenten smiled from their locations. A couple of girls had tried to get closer, but no one really posed as a threat, so they watched the whole thing. Ino sighed with relief.

As for the "Will of Fire", it had to be the most awkward situation of their lives! They kept exchanging looks, not sure what to do. Shikamaru sighed before he coughed. Sasuke and Sakura quickly parted out of shock and embarrassment. Sakura turned to the band. "S-sorry you had to see that… so, thanks for helping me apologize, guys." She turned back to Sasuke. "I guess you have rehearsal now, so…

Ino and Tenten were screaming in their heads. _COME ON! TELL HIM!_

Hinata looked on with anticipation!

"…so I guess I'll leave you to it. Good luck at the festival."

Ino groaned as Tenten face-palmed. "Saaak…" Hinata sighed.

Sasuke just looked at her for a second. "Sakura…"

The guys raised their brows. _IS HE?_

"… … Hn. Have a song picked out. You're still singing."

The band members groaned.

Sakura stood there in shock. "Really? You're sure?"

He turned to the band. "Unless you have any objections."

Naruto wildly shook his head. "None here! Sakura's awesome!"

Kiba nodded. "I'll admit; she has _some _skills."

Sakura blushed. "Well…"

Naruto put down his guitar and ran over to them. "Come on, Sakura! It'll be great! Believe it!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He really hated that catchphrase.

Sakura looked down. "I…" She looked at Sasuke, then back to Naruto. "I guess I'm in."

With that, Naruto pulled her into a bear hug. "YES! WELCOME TO THE WILL OF FIRE, SAKURA!"

* * *

_**Yay! All is well again! But these couples have some unfinished business, now don't they? Next time: Far Away**_

_**Music: My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson**_


	15. Far Away

_**Alright, so it looks like everything is about finished, right? WRONG! Time for some confessions!**_

_**Music: Far Away by Nickelback**_

_**I do NOT own Naruto. **_

* * *

Sakura watched the band rehearse with Tenten and Hinata. Ino had already left with Sai; they had a project, after all. She grinned at the thought. She heard about Sai asking her out. _I bet she's happy, but I feel a little bad for those other guys…_

She couldn't keep her eyes off of Sasuke as he sang. She felt her heart flutter. He looked good up there, but that's not what had her excited.

_He really cared after all!_

She felt so relieved that Karin was wrong, and Sasuke had forgiven her. She knew she should be happy… yet she couldn't escape this strange feeling of regret. Inwardly, she sighed.

_Even after all of that, I couldn't bring myself to tell him…_

She shook her head. _No. We just made up. A confession would only make things awkward. I should just be happy to have him as a friend._

She decided she had enough for one day; if she stayed any longer, someone was bound to notice her mood. Then she'd be interrogated, and that's the last thing she needed. She waved to the girls before she walked away.

Sasuke noticed Sakura leaving, but he had to keep going with rehearsal. He tried to ignore the voice in the back of his head, telling him to go after her. He hadn't said all that he wanted. But he knew better; logically, he couldn't stop mid-song without attracting a large amount of attention, which was unwanted. _If I'm going to tell her, I'll have to get her alone. But when? And would she accept?_

* * *

When rehearsal was over, everyone went their separate ways. As Tenten started walking home, someone grabbed her arm from behind! She whirled around and swung her arm at the perpetrator, but he easily caught her fist!

"I'm afraid I won't allow you to get another punch in, Tenten. One is all you'll get."

Tenten blinked. "Neji? What do you want?" She figured he was angry with her; she didn't blame him. She was a little ashamed of blowing up at him like that.

Neji just looked at her with…gentleness?

"Listen, Tenten. What you said the other day… well, I came to realize something."

Tenten raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

Neji sighed. "The pain of being neglected? I know that full well. And I believe the time has come to end it."

He slowly approached her, grabbed her arms, and planted one on her lips!

Tenten was too shocked to do anything! She couldn't even push away! When he released her, he smiled. "You've been ignoring my feelings for far too long."

Tenten blinked. She could feel something welling up inside of her. _No! I'm NOT going to cry!_

"I-Idiot! I was going to say that!" She grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her for another kiss. _I'll show you who'll wear the pants around here!_

* * *

Hinata hid behind the corner, watching her cousin. _I'm proud of them. If only I was as bold as Neji…_

She quietly walked away to give them some privacy. _He'll probably insist on taking her home, so I might as well leave myself._

"Hey, Hinata!"

Hinata looked over her shoulder; Naruto was heading straight for her! Judging by his speed, she had a pretty good feeling what was about to happen next. Her eyes widened.

"Naruto, slow down!"

"WHOA!"

Naruto slipped when he tried to stop! He fell forward, landing right on top of a startled Hinata, who was, of course, blushing something fierce!

Naruto raised his head; when he realized how close they were… he started babbling. "Hinata! Are you okay? I mean, I didn't mean to knock you over! I just wanted to talk to you, that's all!"

Hinata just stared at him with wide eyes. _He's so close…_

Coming to her senses, she tried to push him off. Naruto complied and awkwardly helped her up. "Say, where're you headed anyway?"

Hinata's blush wouldn't die down, so she looked away in order to hide it. "Well… I… was just going home…"

"By yourself?"

She nodded. "Well, Neji's busy. But it's fine. I have no problem with it."

Naruto grabbed her hand. "Come on, Hinata. How about I walk you home?"

"N-Naruto, you don't have to-"

He kept smiling at her. "I want to. Let's go!"

Hinata couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

"Come on, Sai, hold still!"

"Ino, are you sure it's what you want?"

"I already told you what I want, so all you have to do is hold still!"

"Ino, I'm getting sore…"

The blondie rolled her eyes. "Really Sai, it's not that hard. I'm trying to capture something surprising!" _Seriously, how hard is it to smile and look happy?_

"Are you even drawing my face at the moment?"

Ino smirked. "That's for me to know."

She was already done with his face, but she just enjoyed forcing him to smile for her.

Although he was slightly irritated, Sai could feel his smile becoming a little more genuine. _She's certainly something else._

* * *

Sakura couldn't find it in herself to go home; she decided to look around for a bit. She was surprised when she saw Shikamaru, currently on the phone.

"So, you're coming to town then? No, I'm not angry. It'll be troublesome, but I haven't seen you in a while, so... Yeah, see you then." With that, he pushed a button and ended the call.

"Who was that?"

He turned to see Sakura. "Huh? You heard that?"

She nodded. "Sorry for eavesdropping."

He shook his head. "It's fine. That was my girlfriend, Temari. She's coming to town for the festival, and she wants me to spend the day with her. Troublesome woman thinks I'm too lazy."

Sakura couldn't help but giggle. "She may have a point."

Shikamaru sighed. "What about you? When are you going to tell Sasuke?"

Sakura blinked. "Tell him what?"

He rolled his eyes. "I can tell that you like him, though he's failed to notice. That guy's emotionally constipated, so you need to make it plain and clear for him."

"Wha… I don't…" She sighed as Shikamaru kept giving her a knowing look. "Is it that obvious?"

"Well, to those who know the signs." He started to walk away. "I think Sasuke's in the music room," he called behind him.

Sakura blushed. _What's he trying to do?_

* * *

Sasuke pulled out his computer. He was still trying to pick the music for the show. He looked through his playlist; it was short notice, so he had to pick familiar song;. He went down the list by artist and stopped when he got to Nickelback. He glanced at the song, suddenly feeling an urge to sing it. His guitar was still on the set, so he looked up a recording without lyrics. His thoughts kept wandering to Sakura as he sang.

_This time, this place, misused, mistakes,_

_Too long, too late, who was I to make you wait?_

_Just one chance, just one breath; just in case there's just one left._

_Cause you know, you know, you know_

_I love you; I have loved you all along_

_And I miss you; been far away for far too long_

_I keep dreaming you'll be with me, and you'll never go._

_Stop breathing if I don't see you anymore._

* * *

Sakura walked down the halls. For some odd reason, she didn't have the motivation to go home just yet.

"_I think Sasuke's in the music room."_

Sakura ignored those words that echoed in her head. _So what if he's in the music room? That's none of my business._ She kept telling herself that, yet her feet seemed to have a different idea.

When she got closer, she stopped. She could hear Sasuke singing, and she heard the lyrics to one of her favorite love songs loud and clear. _Sasuke… _

She made her way to the doorway as he continued to sing; luckily, he didn't notice her.

* * *

_So far away; been far away for far too long._

_So far away; been far away for far too long. _

_But you know, you know, you know_

_I wanted; I wanted you to stay_

_Cause I needed; I need to hear you say_

* * *

Sakura couldn't stand it anymore! She didn't even care that she had no idea who he was singing for. She started to sing.

_I love you. I have loved you all along._

_And I forgive you for being away for far too long_

Sasuke's eyes widened as he whirled around to see Sakura at the door, singing with tears in her eyes. He had stopped singing as soon as he heard someone else. Now, he couldn't believe what he saw!

_So keep breathing cause I'm not leaving you anymore_

_Believe it; hold on to me, never let me go_

Sasuke did as he was told. He immediately went over to her and held her as she cried, letting the music play out until the end.

Sakura spoke as she sobbed. "I really do love you, Sasuke. You noticed me when no one else would. And I'm grateful for that."

Sasuke remained silent, letting her words sink in. _She loves me…_

"I… I love you, too. And I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it."

Sakura gasped and looked up at him. She couldn't believe her ears! _Is this some kind of dream?_

Sasuke gently wiped her tears away. As he allowed himself to be caught in her captivating eyes, he found himself slowly leaning closer. Sakura's eyelids slightly closed. When their lips finally met, it felt like everything had finally fallen into place. At first, they were a bit hesitant, but the kiss slowly shifted from careful to passionate.

* * *

Mrs. Haruno squealed with delight. "It's about time! You finally admit your feelings for him! Oh, my baby girl!" She yanked her daughter into an embrace.

"Mom… can't breathe!"

"Oh, sorry, hun." She beamed. "I can't believe you sang to each other! It's so adorable! I'm sure your dad's proud of you! Honestly, I think he'd like Sasuke!"

Sakura smiled. She could just imagine her father trying to pick on Sasuke.

"_Now, you better treat her right, or I'll come after that chicken-butt head of yours!"_

"_Hn."_

Then she noticed her mother's eyes; they were glistening and wet. "Mom…"

She furiously wiped her eyes. "It's n-nothing. I'm just so overwhelmed right now. I'm so happy for you!"

Sakura pulled her into a hug. "Thanks, Mom. I only wish Dad could be here for you."

Mrs. Haruno shook her head. "None of that. This isn't the time for sympathy. Remember, it's not what he'd want."

Sakura nodded. "Yeah… I know."

After dinner, she went up to her room. Sure, it was festival season, so there wasn't any homework. However, she still had a job to do; she promised to have a song picked out before rehearsal tomorrow. As she went through her repertoire, she thought about the message she wanted to express.

_I'm tired of being the quiet girl in the corner! I've made some amazing friends, and I'm finally ready to come out of my shell! I've changed for the better!_

Inner Sakura grinned. **YOU THINKING WHAT I'M THINKING?**

Sakura smirked. _Oh, yeah. I've got the perfect song._

* * *

Finally, the day of the festival arrived. Ino had taken Sakura shopping completely against her will, but at least she could look presentable. She wore a red off-the-shoulder blouse, dark jeans with a chain belt, and black boots. Her hair was up again, and Ino had insisted on accessorizing with some bangles on her wrist. Most importantly, her pendant was proudly placed around her neck. She looked at her reflection. "I really don't recognize this girl…"

Her thoughts were disrupted when she heard her mom from downstairs. "Sakura! You're ride's here!"

She hurried down the stairs. Her mom held out a plate with some toast, which Sakura grabbed quickly. She scarfed it down, making her mom sweat-drop a little. "I don't think he'll leave you. Why not take your time a little?"

Sakura shook her head as she chewed the last bite. "No way. We have to be there early."

Mrs. Haruno nodded in understanding. "Fine, fine. I see how it is." She gave a small sigh. "Oh, I wish I could see you today."

"It's fine, Mom. I know you have to work. I'm sure Ino can record it for me." She turned and gave a small wave. "See you later, Mom!"

"Break a leg, sweetie!"

She sighed to herself. "She's the star you always wanted her to be. You'd better be watching."

Sakura ran out the door to meet Sasuke at the driveway. He wore an unbuttoned white shirt over a gray T-shirt. She noticed a dog-tag chain with the Uchiha crest on it around his neck.

**IT'S NOT LIKE HE HAS TO TRY HARD. HE'S HOT NO MATTER WHAT!**

_I think I agree with you._

When Sasuke noticed her approach, he smirked at her attire; he had to admit he liked it.

Sakura blushed. "W-what's that look for?"

He gently wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his forehead against hers. "My girlfriend's pretty hot."

Her blush darkened at his words. He chuckled a little before releasing her. He handed her a helmet. "Ready to go?"

Sakura beamed. "You know it!"

* * *

_**I hate to say it, but I've got one chapter left. (I'M SORRY! I DON'T LIKE STORIES THAT SEEM TO DRAG!) Besides, I've gotten requests for a sequel already.**_

_**So, the finale should be coming soon. :)**_


	16. She's So Gone

_**SSHS Finale! **_

**_Music: New Divide by Linkin Park/ She's So Gone by Naomi Scott_**

* * *

The atmosphere of the school was close to chaotic. Just about everyone in the school was involved with the festival, whether they ran a stand or just came to enjoy themselves.

Sakura didn't really get a good look around; her mind was elsewhere. As she walked, she could feel the butterflies in her stomach grow with each step. _Am I that excited? Or am I just terrified?_ She hadn't been able to spot her friends yet, so all she could do was silently follow Sasuke to the stage.

* * *

When it was almost time for the concert to start, Sakura dared to sneak a peek out the curtain.

"Oh, my… That's a lot of people…"

"Nervous?"

Sakura started and looked over her shoulder. She gave a weak smile. "Uh… a little…"

Sasuke gave a smile. That's right. A _smile_.

"Don't be. You'll be great. Besides…" He gently held her hand and turned her to him. "I'll be there with you." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I promised, didn't I?"

She blinked as she recalled it.

"_I'm in, but only if you're there with me."_

"_Deal."_

She blushed and looked at him sheepishly. She still wasn't quite used to the boyfriend thing.

"I still think I'm going to be sick…"

"Join the club." Naruto popped up out of nowhere and slung an arm around Sasuke's shoulders, ignoring his irritated expression. "After that display? Man, Sasuke, could that have been any mushier? Ugh, just thinking about it makes me want to hurl!"

"Hn. Shut up, dobe."

Naurto made mock-pouty face. "Aww, don't be like that! Did I hurt your _feelings_?"

"Dobe, if you don't let go in 2 seconds…"

"You'll what? Open your heart to me? Remember, you owe me. I did play a hand in your little relationship, after all." He blew on his fist and rubbed it on his shirt.

Sakura couldn't help it; she giggled.

"Alright, alright! Cut it out, Naruto. I'm good, thanks."

Naruto grinned. Sasuke scowled, though he couldn't hate him for trying to cheer her up.

"Well. The guys are waitin'. Let's go, Teme."

Sakura blinked in confusion. "Huh? Wait, what about me?"

"Come on, Sakura! It's your first appearance! Let's make it count and give you the biggest introduction ever! Besides, we're saving the best for last!" He beamed.

Sasuke sweat-dropped. Sakura started to laugh nervously; she was definitely on the border of panicking. Sasuke turned to her and sighed. As Naruto marched away, Sasuke turned the girl to face him.

"Remember the music," he whispered. "You chose this song for a reason. I know you did." He smirked at he walked on stage.

Sakura fiddled with her necklace as she watched him take his place. "Yeah…"

* * *

Saskue made his way to his spot, checking all his band-mates. "Alright, let's do this."

Neji nodded. Kiba and Naruto were obviously pumped. Shikamaru tried to hide a smirk as he muttered, "Troublesome."

As the curtains rose, so did the screams. Sasuke inwardly groaned, but now he had to put on a show for the fans. He nodded to Kiba to give the beat.

_I remembered black skies, and lightning all around me._

_I remembered each flash as time began to blur_

_Like a startling sign that fate had finally found me._

_And your voice was all I heard that I get what I deserve_

_So give me reason to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean_

_Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes_

_Give me reason to fill this hole, connect the space between_

_Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies across this new divide._

* * *

The concert went without a hitch! The fan girls couldn't get enough of Sasuke singing; you could see hearts and stars in their eyes! Sakura sweat-dropped from backstage. _What'll they think when they find out about us?_

Naruto even got a guitar solo. He went all out; the most embarrassing part had to be when he got on the ground and kicked his feet so he rotated in a circle. The rest of the group rolled their eyes at his antics, but Sakura gaped. _This guy's insane!_

After they finished their songs, the squeals had gotten so loud, Sasuke thought his ears would bleed. But now they were supposed to introduce Sakura for the finale. Not being a people person, Sasuke left Naruto to do the speaking.

"Alright, Uzumaki, take it away…"

"Hey, yo, what's up?! Are ya feeling it? You know I am!"

Shikamaru pinched the bridge of his nose. _Does he hear himself right now? _

"Ok, its time wrap this up, but first, we've got a surprise to finish this with a bang! Believe it!"

The rest of the band groaned at the catchphrase. A vein popped on Naruto's head, but he kept going for the sake of the show.

"Now we're going to introduce you to this awesome girl that our own Sasuke Uchiha discovered a while ago. Give it up for…SAKURA HARUNO!"

Some of the squeals were replaced with whispers.

"_Who is that?" _

"_Did he say Sasuke found her? No way! _

"_Isn't that the pink-haired freak?"_

Sakura wasn't sure she had the strength to walk on stage. All the gossip… it was horrifying. _What if they laugh at me as soon as I show my face?_

"YEAH SAKURA! YOU GOT IT, GIRL!"

Sakura was startled! She looked for the source of the noise and spotted Ino, Sai, Tenten, and Hinata, all cheering. Ino of course was the loudest; Sai was simply smiling.

"Come on, Sak! Knock 'em dead!" Tenten raised her fist in the air.

Hinata jumped up and down. "You can do it!"

Somehow their cheering inspired some others to join in. The applause started to grow. Sakura couldn't believe it. _If only my legs would move._

Sasuke noticed her frozen position, so he walked over to the side of the stage and held out his hand. Sakura looked at it, then at him. Slowly, she took his hand, and they walked on stage together. As they walked, Naruto cued the band to start. Sakura walked up to the microphone, but she didn't quite look at the crowd yet.

_Insecure… In her skin_

_Like a puppet, a girl on a string_

As she sang the lyrics, she started to feel the words from within her heart. She slowly raised her head.

_Broke away…learned to fly,_

_If you want her back, gotta let her shine._

_So it looks like the joke's on you_

'_Cause the girl that you thought you knew_

_She's so gone_

_That's so over now_

_She's so gone_

_You won't find her around_

_You can look but you won't see the girl I used to be_

_Cause she, she so gone._

With a look of determination, she grabbed the mike from the stand and walked over to Neji. She put a hand on his shoulder, careful not to throw him off as he played.

_Here I am. This is me._

_And I'm stronger than you ever thought I'd be._

She moved to Naruto. She put her hand on his shoulder from behind.

_Are you shocked?_

She switched sides.

_Are you mad?_

_That your missin' out on who I really am._

She went to the keyboard's platform, sharing a smile Shikamaru, though he had been trying his hardest not to.

_Now it looks like the joke's on you_

'_Cuz the girl that you thought you knew_

She jumped off the platform

_She's so gone; That's all over now._

_She's so gone; You won't find her around._

She started to dance around a little.

_You can look but you won't see the girl I used to be_

'_Cause she…_

She hopped over to Kiba, banging her head to the beat.

_She's so gone, away like history._

_She's so gone; baby, this is me, yeah!_

As she moved away from Kiba, he could tell Sakura was literally long gone; she was completely lost in the music. She pretty much forgot about all the people. She was just singing, dancing, and having the time of her life.

_She's so gone; that's all over now_

_She's so gone; you won't find her around_

_You can look but you won't see the girl I used to be_

'_Cause she… She's so gone!_

_She's so gone!_

She started to twirl across the stage.

_You can look but you won't see the girl I used to be_

'_Cause she…_

Sasuke saw her coming and turned to her as she stopped in front of him, smiling the brightest smile he had seen in ages.

_She's so gone._

The crowd roared, including a few fangirls. But Sakura wasn't paying attention. She was too busy looking at her boyfriend. They linked hands as they stood there, while the rest of the band played out the song.

* * *

After the concert, the Ino, Sai, Tenten, and Hinata hurried back stage to meet up with the band. Hinata ran to Naruto and jumped on him, almost knocking the blonde over. When she realized what she was doing, she turned bright red and let go, until Naruto pulled her into another hug.

Neji scowled at the scene, but Tenten held his hand and gave him a look. "Come on. She can take care of herself." Neji got pretty close to smiling, and Tenten noticed.

Ino pounced on her pink friend. "OMG, SAKURA, THAT WAS AMAZING! I SO WISH YOU COULD'VE SEEN THAT SHE-DEVIL'S FACE WHEN SASUKE LOOKED AT YOU LIKE THAT!" Sai just watched, thinking her energy was pretty adorable.

Sakura laughed nervously. "Ehehe… Don't remind me…" _She's going to make life hell, later._

Kiba grinned. "Don't you worry about that bitch. We're here for ya!"

Shikamaru scratched his head. "It's troublesome, but you _are_ like one of us, now."

Sakura gaped. She didn't know what to say.

Naruto piped up. "Come on, guys! The shows over, so let's party!"

Ino and Kiba pounded their fists in the air. "Oh, yeah!" Tenten and Neji shook their heads but followed after the crowd.

Shikamaru sent a text to Temari so she could meet up with them.

Poor Hinata was practically dragged away by Naruto, but she was smiling nonetheless.

Sakura felt Sasuke grab her hand.

"So? Did you get what you wanted?"

She smiled as she looked into his eyes. "Maybe I did. But… I think I did _before_ the festival."

Sasuke smirked as he leaned in. Sakura gladly accepted his kiss; she was pretty sure she had never felt this happy. She didn't care about the people at school. She didn't even care about what Karin was sure to do later. All she knew was she had Sasuke, and she had her friends. That was more than a girl could ask for. _Are you watching, Dad? You were right. That's just the magic of music._

"Are you guys coming or what?"

"C'mon, time and place! Enough with the make-out session!"

Sasuke and Sakura quickly parted as two blondes screamed at them from down the hall. Sakura grumbled. "Geez, did he have to let the entire world know?"

Sasuke sighed. "Well, Yamanaka doesn't help much."

Despite being annoyed, Sakura gave a small smile. _That's just the way they are. I wouldn't have it any other way. _

She grabbed Sasuke's hand. "Come on. Let's go have some fun."

Sasuke smirked as he allowed himself to get led away.

Sakura called out to the group. "Hey, guys, wait up!"

Ino put her hands on her hips. "We've _been_ waiting! Move it already!"

"ALRIGHT! WE'RE GONNA PARTY SO HARD! BELIEVE IT!"

Everyone simultaneously groaned. Naruto raised a fist as he growled.

"STOP MOCKING MY CATCHPHRASE!"

* * *

_**Thus ends this saga. A new group of friends has merged, and they'll continue to face whatever comes their way.**_

_**I have to admit I fell in love with this story as I wrote it, and I'm sad it came to an end. But, I also can't stand stories that tend to drag. I really hope you loved it as much as I did.**_

_**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I'm excited to see so many positive reactions [some were so cute they made me smile :) ].**_


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